Granger's Anatomy
by Lightning09
Summary: Hermione had seen hundreds of lives taken during the war, hundreds of lives snatched into death's greedy hand. But now she was going to give hundreds more their life back. Top healer at Hogsmeade General, Dr. Hermione Granger has much to discover about herself and what she wants. Dramione.
1. Chapter One: Imbalance

Author's Note

PLEASE READ. Readers, please note that hence the title this is a medical based story with Dramione in it. I am NOT a doctor but a writer so medical facts, procedures and situations are not 100% accurate. Please don't be too upset if you notice an error or mistake because I do a lot of research for each situation I write and I hope not to make glaring mistakes but also don't expect accurate events. Also, all rights belong to JK Rowling and Shonda Rhimes. On another note, this story is not intended to be exactly like Grey's Anatomy but was inspired by it, things will be similar (resident drama, bar down the street, narrative intro/closing like Greys, Gossip Girl..) plots are all completely original. Please enjoy and leave comments!

 _Nobody likes a change in routine. Or an imbalance in everything you thought was set in stone. But nothing is ever really set in stone is it? Imbalance knocks you off course, it rocks your boat, it ruins everything you built for yourself. It does lots of things, except help you. Nobody likes being that kid that lost their balance in gym class or that one person who had it all then made one stupid, damn, little choice that made your balanced life...imbalanced._

"Medium french vanilla, extra caffeine?" a voice asked coming up from behind Hermione. She turned around to see Draco Malfoy grinning knowingly as he handed her the cup. Hermione rolled her eyes at his smugness of knowing the way she took her coffee by heart but took the coffee nonetheless.

"Are you ready?" he asked matching her stride as they neared the doors of Hogsmeade General.

After the war, St. Mungos was so broken and damaged they decided to open two more different hospitals in the area. It was at Hogsmeade General that Hermione had met the infamous Draco Malfoy again during their internship and residency. They had both been so broken by the war in different ways, it was the strangest thing but they found comfort and strength in each other. He had turned out to be a completely different person than she originally assumed and had quickly become one of her best friends.

"Ready to kick your ass? Hell yeah since first year." she said bumping into his shoulder as the elevator doors opened. A simple touch sending a shock up her arm.

He laughed throwing his head back as he leaned against the rear wall. A beautiful sound coming from his mouth. And his smile, so rare and so perfect. He glanced at her raising his eyebrows. "What? No vomiting like first year residency and first day of internship? Or second year - ?"

"Okay, so I haven't had the best track record for keeping things down when I'm nervous but it's not totally uncommon." she argued refusing to look at him.

"You know what is becoming way too common? Lack of sleep. I'm exhausted, my damn interns don't know a bloody thing, so when they screw something up, I have to come running to fix it. One moron woke me up from my nap because they weren't sure whether to do a central line by wand or hand." Draco grumbled.

"My intern dropped a kidney for a transplant when were operating." Hermione laughed sipping her coffee. "I swear they get worse and worse each year."

The elevator door dinged open and in stepped Alec Stanforth and Leila Bellsan chatting animatedly. Alec was the polar opposite of Draco. Sandy brown hair, tanned complexion and completely modest and humble. Leila was a petite little thing, with long strawberry blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes.

"Did you have a good shag for good luck last night?" Draco quipped watching as their necks turned bright red. "I take that as a yes."

"Don't tease them Draco," Hermione admonished. "Like I didn't see you in the on call room with that slutty nurse." The elevator burst into laughter as Draco muttered under his breath.

"Have you done any?" Leila asked in a much peppier mood than usual. Sex did that to a girl.

"Oh God don't talk about it like it's a homework question waiting to be completed." Hermione shuddered as they changed in the resident's lounge.

"Only you would make a comparison like that." Alec snarked pulling off his shirt. Lelia's eyes followed setting herself up for more of Draco's taunts.

"The night before our first day as 3rd year residents and you had sex?" Hermione said with disbelief. "Your going to intubate someone up the nose."  
"Relax 'Mione, if I do, you won't be far to fix it." Alec said his eyes wandering to Leila. "Besides, it was worth it." making Leila smirk knowingly.

"Somebody hand me a ten gauge needle so I can stab my eyeballs." Draco said looking at them with disdain. "I'm reporting you both to the psych ward."  
"For what?" Leila asked looking amused.

"For being addicted to sex." Draco replied eyeing them both. "Your horniness will affect the quality of health we strive to give our patients - "

"Malfoy, Bellsan move it, we've got a 23 year old female trauma coming in 5!" Dr Persephone Foster hollered speeding down to meet the emergency apparators.

Like an ambulance, the emergency apparators apparated into the hospital and disapparated out of it to retrieve the ill/injured.

"I wish she'd move it to hell." Leila mumbled as she and Draco followed after her at a run. Draco almost slammed into Aaron Mathews who came skittering in with his clipboard in hand, late as always. Aaron was a nerd, no other way to put it. He had curly brown hair, glasses and had a tendency to be clumsy and late.

"Watch it Mathews, I'm actually going to save lives." Draco called over his shoulder. Aaron growled angrily as he flipped the page roughly.

"Don't worry Aaron, he's just jealous because he didn't win chief resident." Hermione assured pulling her lab coat on.

"Mhm," he murmured with disbelief. "Kravic, Granger your on Putton's service and Stanforth you and I are on neuro. Where's Kravic?"

Brittany Kravic a permanently grumpy girl stood from the corner of the room scowling as usual. She always had a frown etched on her face which made her tight features look even sharper. Her platinum blond hair always pulled severely back into a bun looked even crosser than usual to see Aaron Mathews.

"Good luck," Aaron muttered as he left with Alec. Then Hermione was left alone with Brittany who looked completely miserable to be there with her. Hermione had tried to befriend her in their close knit group their first year of internship but she was totally resistant and uninterested. The others had quickly formed a strong bond making them feel even more awkward when Brittany was left out.

"Don't slow me down Granger." Brittany said offhandedly as she lead the way to the patient's room. Hermione inhaled sharply reminding herself why she was here. She was here to save lives and Brittany Kravic could go to hell for all she cared.

* * *

"What do we got?" Persephone Foster asked as the emergency apparators came flashing in levitating a bleeding and screaming women followed by a panicky tall man haphazardly dressed.

Draco began reading the EA's charts quickly before shoving them to Leila who glared and took them, scanning them quickly.

"23 year old female, suspected broken hip bone from fall but we're not sure why she's bleeding or complaining of severe abdominal pain." the EA said wincing as the women's foot made contact with her gut.

"Okay, Ms. Adams I need you to tell me what happened." Leila said feeling her abdomen for rigidness. Her only response was to scream in pain as her eyes began to droop.

"She's crashing!" Persephone cried counting for them to transfer her from gurney to observation bed. She used her wand to summon the defibrillator which she attached to the women's chest. "Clear!" the women's body jerked with each shock delivered and finally her heart came back.

"Talk to me sir," Draco said setting up an ultrasound for her abdomen.

"We were...we were...uh we were shagging at the top of the stairs when she suddenly hunched over in pain and she kneed me _there_ by accident so I knocked her accidently down the stairs. I heard bone snapping and she was complaining of abdominal pain." the man stuttered clutching the door for support.

"The stairs? Seriously man?" Draco asked motioning for someone to escort him out.

"Malfoy!" Persephone warned watching the ultrasound as he moved it lower. "Merlin you didn't tell us she was pregnant!"

The EA confusedly reread her charts unsure where she went wrong.

"She's having an ectopic pregnancy, we need to get her to an OR now." Draco said meeting Persephone's eyes and she nodded yelling for everyone to clear the way.

"What happened?" Dr Thomas Sharman asked bursting into the room, snapping on a pair of gloves. Leila rapidly recited her stats, the stairs story and her injuries. Dr. Sharman felt around her hip and shook his head running alongside them as they sped towards the elevator. "Definitely a broken hip."

"She's pregnant?" the women's counterpart shrieked chasing after them. "We didn't even know!"

"I'm Dr. Foster and this is Dr. Sharman from ortho, we're her healers and we're going to take care of Ms. Adams." she said as the elevator doors closed on his astounded face.

* * *

"I'm Dr. Putton and this is Dr. Kravic and Dr. Granger, we'll be performing your coronary artery bypass." Elizabeth Putton said introducing them to their patient. "Dr. Kravic?"

"John Chadwick, 39, felt extreme chest pains last night. He was taken for an EKG and the reports came back with signs of severely clogged arteries." Brittany summarized, her face perfectly smooth and unreadable.

"Meaning Dr. Granger?" Elizabeth asked turning her attention to Hermione.

"Mr. Chadwick you have plaque build up in your arteries potentially due to smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure." Hermione responded.

"I TOLD you to quit smoking, quit smoking but you refuse! I warned you, I called it, I TOLD you Johnny, that this muggle smoking stick would only harm you!" his wife screeched from beside him. "I told you didn't I?"  
"Yes m'dear you did. But I'm a stubborn man and those muggle smoking sticks are amazing." Mr. Chadwick replied smiling fondly.

"I told you this wouldn't end well but no, you continued and now look! Surgery for something so ridiculous." his wife admonished.

"Dr. Kravic and Granger will prep you for surgery it should be a smooth 4 hour procedure but we should get you in sooner rather than later because you're at risk for a heart attack." Elizabeth smiled before stepping out of the room. Hermione and Brittany followed her out closing the door to poor Mr. Chadwick being scolded by his know it all wife.

"I want you to monitor him like a hawk. He's at high risk for a heart attack and I don't want any failing hearts before we even step into the OR. He better be alive by 1:30 this afternoon." Elizabeth warned before leaving the two of them with his charts.

"That's the kind of wife I imagine you to be. A know it all." Brittany said mildly. "That is if you ever find a man who's willing to put up with you for eternity."

"You know, I don't understand why you hate those who try to show compassion to you. We tried, we all tried, hell even Draco tried but you. It was always your resistance that shut us out." Hermione snapped.

"I am a surgeon. I am a healer who saves lives. I don't have the time or patience to put up with all your crap." Brittany sneered savagely tearing a paper off.

"Well maybe one day, someone as equally rude and stubborn will stumble into you and you both be miserable together for the rest of eternity!" Hermione retorted.

"Uh...healers! Somethings wrong!" Mrs. Chadwick cried. Hermione and Brittany shared a heated glare before sprinting into his room to access the issue.

"He's crashing!" Brittany said shaking her head as she glanced at the monitors.

"Charge to 200." Hermione ordered placing the defibrillator paddles on his chest. "Clear!" John's body lurched as the shock delivered itself. "Page Putton and push one of epi!"

John's heart rate showed no signs of recovery and Hermione grit her teeth as she glanced at Brittany. "Charge to 300. Clear!" The heart rate started going flat and Hermione felt her own increase. "Brittany check for blockages!" she distinctly heard Brittany mutter a spell to observe his arteries.

"Plaque is everywhere, we need to get him to an OR!" she yelled.

"Well his heart needs to revive first. Clear!" Hermione shouted with one final surge of power, John's heart came back.

"Was I not clear when I said I didn't want any failing hearts?" Elizabeth Putton demanded after exiting the patient's room. Brittany and Hermione looked down shamefully. "Get him to the OR now."

Hermione and Brittany shared one more hateful glare before taking opposite routes to the OR.

* * *

"Look I understand your concern but I can't risk affecting the other working parts of his brain." Dr. Kimberly Wellington head of neuro said placatingly.

"He's our baby boy. He's only 7, he needs a normal life. We're wizards for merlin's sake. There's no spell to remove it? Vanish it?" Mrs. Harrison asked.

"The tumour is very clever and has wrapped itself, latched rather very tightly onto Jacob's brain. If you want your son to live, I can only remove part of it." Kimberly explained with more patience than humanly possible.

"We want you to just take your best shot and remove all of it. We know there's a chance it could nick an important part of his brain but it's worth the chance it won't." Mr. Harrison said seriously.

"I highly don't recommend - "

"Just do it, Dr. Wellington. Our son is dying. His best shot at normalcy is removing all of it." Mrs. Harrison said wiping her nose.

"What about his best shot at life?" Aaron asked, his parents heads turning in his direction. "Life or potential normalcy. That's really your only options here."

After repeatedly insisting for the entire tumour to be removed, Kimberly Wellington condeded and lead the boys to the OR.

"Ridiculous, idiotic, moronic parents. They just signed a contract for their son to be murdered on my table." she muttered turning on the sink. In an hour Jason Harrison was open on her table and they had made the first incisions.

* * *

"Clamp?" Dr. Foster said as they reached the 3 hour mark in the operating room. Even as wizards, some things were better done without a wand. Dr. Lucille Armstrong of OBGYN was here assisting Persephone Foster as they worked to remove the fallopian tube.

"There's no salvaging it?" Leila asked from where she worked with Dr. Thomas Sharman on fixing her hip bone. She was muttering complicated incantations with her wand as they sewed up.

"None. The embryo can't survive in the fallopian tube and it burst. She has another healthy one so she can still have kids." Lucille said reaching for a forcep. "She's lucky to even be alive. It became an emergency especially dangerous because she didn't even know she was pregnant."

"She'll have scarring." Draco remarked as they continued working. "She'll lose the baby too."  
"Malfoy you're good in trauma." Persephone commented watching as he sutured neatly and precisely. "You're quick on your feet and move fast."

"Thank you Dr. Foster." Draco replied feeling his heart soar. He wasn't all charm.

"Dr. Bellsman and I are finished here, we'll go update her partner." Thomas said removing his mask. Leila followed looking pleased with her work.

"I wonder if she even wanted the kid." Draco said applying suction.

"Her partner seemed awfully surprised." Persephone replied. "I don't think they were trying."  
"Like they weren't trying to fall down the stairs after they shagged on top of the stairs." Draco snorted. Lucille and Persephone laughed as they imagined the strange scene.

"They couldn't just wait a few more minutes to reach the bed?" Lucille chuckled.

"It's called passion ladies. In the moment, hot, heated, fiery passion." Draco smirked suturing up nicely, causing them to laugh again. Stair sex, hot.

* * *

"Retractor." Dr. Putton said after making the first incision down the middle of the chest.

"Dr. Putton I would love to clamp the aorta when we get there. I've been practicing." Brittany eagerly said applying suction. "Dr. Granger can update the wife, she relates quite closely to her."  
Hermione glared over the top of her mask. "Well Dr. Kravic can update the little kiddies at daycare. Her maturity levels relates quite closely to them."

"Both of you can get out of my OR now." Dr. Putton instructed.

"Dr. Putton - "

Elizabeth looked up her green eyes piercing into them. "If the pair of you can't be mature enough to handle this case and collaborate together despite your differences, I don't need you on my service. Now please, step _out_ of my OR."

Hermione angrily stormed out shoving her scrubs into a bin before yanking off her mask. Brittany followed looking equally as pissed.

"Now look what you've done." she sneered making Hermione's blood boil.

"I didn't say a word to you. But you just had to make some smart ass comment didn't you? Now we're both out of her service." Hermione said feeling her patience grow thin. Without another word, she left the sterilizing room in anger making her way to the cafe.

"I'm going to grab a 10 blade and shove it up Brittany Kravic's eyeball." she grumbled after buying her lunch and taking a seat next to Leila.

"I'll help you." she said idly flipping a page of the Daily Prophet.

"She's driving me insane." Hermione said shoveling food into her mouth. "Where are the others today?"

"Aaron and Alec are with Sharman on neuro cases, Draco and I were on this ectopic pregnancy/broken hip trauma case." she said glancing at her watch. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing, having sex with Alec?"

"Oh you did not just ask me that." Hermione said wrinkling her nose. "I can't really answer that. Is it good sex?"  
"The best sex. Alec is always so closed off and quiet, it's hard to know what _he_ thinks. Except for when you elicit a moan or something, then you definitely know." Leila smirked biting a carrot. Hermione laughed crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.

"Alec is a good guy. He is one of the only gentlemen I've met in my entire lifetime which is a really depressing thought and says something about the men of our generation." Hermione said watching Leila. "If he makes you happy and he's good to you, I think it's the right thing."

"He does sex good to me." Leila said a sly grin spreading across her face. "I wonder if he's in surgery right now, I know a few empty on call rooms."

Hermione gave up talking to lusty Leila and moved to eat her salad. A group of interns squealed loudly from the back of the cafeteria making them all turn their heads in irritation.

One of them had eaten a canary cream and was squawking very angrily. The others were laughing stupidly tossing it food to eat.

"It's like watching a show at the zoo." Hermione said turning away in disgust. "It's like working with a band of mildly educated monkeys."

"That little manipulative bastard." Leila broke off pointing to the cafe line. Draco was talking very animatedly with head of trauma, Persephone Foster. "He's going to get in on all the good trauma cases if he manages to pick her up."  
Hermione watched as he made her laugh before nodding and joining the other attendings. Draco then turned to make his way towards them.

"You like him," Leila accused pointing her fork at Hermione. "Oh my God, you're jealous." she said waving her fork with more enthusiasm.

"That's rubbish." Hermione blushed sipping her coffee. "He can sleep with whomever he pleases."

"You should tell him, before he rides off into the sunset with a pampered pureblood princess." Leila said seriously.

"I like things the way they are," Hermione said as Draco came closer. "We're best friends and anything else will just change everything. We hated each other for so long but now we don't and I'd like things to stay that way."

"Don't tell me the famous war heroine, Gryffindor queen is afraid to share her feelings." Leila said raising her eyebrows.

"Shut up," Hermione hissed as Draco reached their table.  
"My patient is stable and awake. Dr. Foster said I would be good in trauma." Draco said sitting down opposite Hermione.

"Of course she did," Leila said innocently sipping her drink. Draco looked at her strangely before continuing to graphically recount every little detail from his surgery with Persephone.

* * *

"Malfoy is going to be one to watch. He's a snake, riding low for now but in the OR he's gifted." Persephone said pouring herself some more coffee from the attendings' lounge.

"Granger would be amazing if she wasn't so hot tempered, I kicked her out of my OR today for arguing with Brittany Kravic." Elizabeth Putton added from where she was laying on the couch.

"I don't like any of them." Margaret Mallucci of peds shrugged. "They all think they're so good. Alec Stanforth is the most humble of them all."

"Aren't you supposed to be in on that massive brain tumour Wellington has?" Elizabeth asked raising her head.

"I'm not going into that OR where his parents have forced her to chop off healthy parts of his brain." Margaret said simply. "It's ridiculous, poor Kimberly can handle it."

"It's strange how despite the fact we're wizards/witches we still don't have cures to illnesses. We don't get normal coughs/colds but we still fall ill like everyone else." Persephone said propping her feet on the table.

"I guarantee you, it will be a wizard who finds the cure to cancer. Muggles are all hopeless." Margaret agreed.  
"Aaron Mathews has a nice ass." Thomas Sharman said striding into the room. "Very geeky face but a firm ass."  
"Did you check?" Persephone asked raising her eyebrows.

"I can tell." Thomas said firmly.

"You're sick." Elizabeth said shaking her head. He winked at her before leaving the room. "We are not sleeping with residents." she said pointedly looking around the room.

* * *

"The surgery went well. Dr. Putton was able to graft a vein from your leg, everything went smoothly with little complications. You should be up and out of here in no time." Brittany said to the Chadwicks.

"See, I told YOU everything would be fine." Mr. Chadwick said looking smug. "But you didn't listen to me."

His wife gaped at him like a fish out of water before muttering something about coffee and leaving the room.

Mr. Chadwick chuckled turning to face the two healers. "It feels _good_ to say that to her. It was a chance not knowing if the surgery would work."

Hermione smiled warmly. "Get some rest, Mr. Chadwick."

Hermione and Brittany filed out of the room and without another word to the other, parted ways half of his charts in hand.

* * *

"This is a terrible, horrible, very stupid idea." Kimberly Wellington said shaking her head as she observed the massive tumour. "The parents are letting their desperation take over their common sense."  
"You think he's not going to make it?" Aaron asked glancing up at the gallery where the chief of surgery herself, Elizabeth Putton, Lucille Armstrong and Thomas Sharman were watching.

"We never say that in the OR Mathews." Kimberly said taking a deep breath. "Stanforth resect the tumour from the very bottom up. One clean motion. Use your wand or hand, whichever is most comfortable." Kimberly said nodding at the wide eyed Alec. He took the tool and began resecting slowly vying for his hand as he slowly inched it up.

"Slowly," Kimberly instructed. "One smooth motion don't move the position of your hand just the location. Good, nice work Dr. Stanforth."  
As soon as the words came out of her mouth the patient began to crash. Aaron rushed to the patient's chest and began resuscitating. Come on, live he thought desperately as he pumped up and down on the little boy's chest.

"Stanforth do not move your hand one inch!" Kimberly yelled moving her hands quickly. "One move and you'll kill the patient."

"Push one of epi!" Aaron called sweat appearing on his brow as he continued exerting a strong push on the boy's chest. Flatline. Jason Harrison's heart began to fail as the line went flat.

"Come on Jason!" Aaron ground out as he pushed repeatedly.

"Call it." Kimberly sighed removing her headlight. "Mathews, call it."  
"Time of death 5:43." Aaron said removing his hands with resignation.

Without a word, the three of them cleaned up and headed to meet the parents. This felt like a major 'I told you so' to the parents and in a way it sort of was.

"Mr and Mrs Harrison, I am so sorry. Jason didn't make it through the surgery." Kimberly said solemnly. Mr. Harrison fell to his knees sobbing embarrassingly as he clutched onto Mrs. Harrison whose face was into total shock.

"The tumour was too big and we tried to resect the entire thing like your requested and he just couldn't pull through." Kimberly said looking very pained to have to say all this. "I'm so sorry, for your loss."

Aaron worked hard to keep his face straight as he helped Mrs. Harrison sit down, losing all circulation to his forearm as she crushed it in her grip.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered.

* * *

"We lost Jason," Aaron said staring out the window into the darkening skies. "He could have lived if his parents had allowed us to resect part of it."  
"My patient is alive, healthy and chatty." Draco said changing his shirt. "I almost wish she _wasn't_ so I wouldn't have to hear her yap."  
"I have a solo appendectomy tomorrow." Hermione said happily walking in. "Head of general just gave it to me."  
"I hate you," Draco said watching as she strode across the room. She grinned back digging in her bag. "I'm on OBGYN tomorrow. All I'll get is pissy, needy pregnant ladies." he grumbled.

"The parents were just so insistent and stubborn. They handed their son's brain for us to chop up." Aaron said glumly.

"I got general." Leila said walking in with a bag of chips. "I'll be scrubbing in on the chief's gallbladder operation."

"Damn wanna trade?" Draco asked tearing open a granola with his teeth. Leila looked at him with apprehension.

"For pissy pregnant ladies? No thanks." Leila smiled sweetly sitting down beside Alec.

"Jason could have lived. Even if it was for a few more months." Aaron said in a monotone voice.

"Come on, you love babies." Draco chided chewing his granola.

"Yeah babies out of the mom not still inside." Leila replied. "Plus don't you always say women love you?"

"Not married, grumpy, hormonal raging ones in no mood for a shag." Draco exclaimed shoving his scrubs in his bag.

"He could have lived longer with speech and memory nevermind his life." Aaron said morosely. "My patient died."  
"Will you stop saying that?" calm headed Alec exploded. "My patient died too but I'm not moping about what could have happened. It did happen and there's nothing we can do to fix it."

The room fell silent, Aaron gaping at Alec stupidly. He grabbed his stuff and promptly exited the room, Leila looking after him with uncertainty.

"Who's on call tonight?" Elizabeth Putton asked sticking her head inside. "Meet me at the emergency apparators pit we've got two incoming traumas. Some idiots wanted to tangle with a hippogriff."

Leila and Aaron tore after her, dropping the bag of chips as they ran.

Hermione turned to face Draco. "I seem to remember a particular idiot who tangled with a hippogriff too."

Draco tied his laces looking passive. "I have no idea who you're talking about."  
Hermione grinned before leaving the room. She made her way to the Chadwick's room to double check his vitals before leaving for the night.

Brittany was changed and standing there staring through the windows at the Chadwicks. Her face was passive as always but her eyes followed the heart monitor with sharp laser focus. It seemed like both of them didn't want to give Dr. Putton another reason to hate them.

"Your a good doctor." Hermione said moving to stand slightly apart from her. She heard Brittany sigh in annoyance and exasperation.

"If this is a motivating crap speech I don't have time to hear it." she said crossly.

"Well shut up and you'll find out it's not." Hermione snapped reigning in her temper. "We're both good doctors. But we'd be even better if we could agree not to bicker. At least not in the OR or with a patient."

Brittany pursed her lips before finally turning to face Hermione. "You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours." she said before walking passed Hermione.

The corners of Hermione's lips quirked up, that was likely the best she'd get out of Brittany Kravic. With one last glance at the Chadwicks, Hermione left.

 _Doctors say it all the time, you need a balanced lifestyle between healthy eating and exercising to live a healthy life. Teachers too, balance between school and play. Balance between work and family._

Hermione found her way to the courtyard located at the very heart of the hospital. Trees and flowers of magical variety sprouted everywhere, a fountain at the centre of the courtyard and benches placed around the area.

She perched on the bench closest to the fountain and watched the water fall out in gushes.

 _So when things go wrong, and your life becomes imbalanced, it can be scary as hell._

"Hey, what're you doing here?" Draco asked moving to sit beside her. He had changed into his civilian clothes, some beard starting to grow on his face.

"Pondering life's great mysteries." Hermione answered crossing her arms. Draco snorted and stretched out his arms and legs. "What are you doing here?"  
"My patient coded and I needed to resuscitate because one of my idiot interns can't tell a healthy heart beat from a weak one." Draco yawned.

"We were idiot interns once." Hermione reminded turning to look at him. "If I remember correctly, you got the appendectomy and your patient died."

"We were also strange little first years at Hogwarts once and if I remember correctly you became a cat." Draco said raising his eyebrows.

Hermione laughed not even feeling the slightest urge to defend herself to him. That was how much their relationship progressed. He turned to look at her, his grey eyes studying her.

"And now your one of the best healers at Hogsmeade General." Draco smiled, lacing their fingers together. "Not better than me of course, but you're getting there."

 _The thing about the mistake that imbalances your life, is you never know it's a mistake until after it's made._

Hermione laughed again feeling her mood improve drastically just by sitting here with him. Then with the soft breeze and the setting sun she leaned in and pressed their lips together. Draco's lips parted immediately, like he was ready for her and wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer. She'd never felt so complete, so perfect all at once than all of a sudden she did.

His lips were soft as they moved against hers slowly. His hands were warm as they rested on her side, she moved hers to tangle in his soft, silky blond hair.

They drew apart, breathing deeply, his penetrating grey eyed gaze meeting hers warmly. A door opened somewhere in the distance but Hermione found she didn't care.

"Are you ready for dinner Draco?" a voice called and high heeled feet made their way towards them. They broke their intense gaze looking up and Hermione felt her heart stiffen when Persephone Foster approached them looking absolutely stunning.

Draco turned his gaze back to Hermione looking conflicted, his eyes lingering on hers. Persephone's voice snapped them back once more.

"I got us a reservation at Felicia's, with a lot of talking and flirting but it's in 10 minutes so we should get going." Persephone said completely clueless to the two dumbfounded by their own daring.

Draco stood uncertainty and she moved to take his hand leading them towards the door. He turned back giving Hermione one last look before they disappeared through the doors and into the night.

* * *

"Can I get another mimosa please?" Hermione asked raising her empty glass to Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks, who hurried over to pour a glass.

Aaron slid into the seat next to her motioning for a beer. "I hate our job."

"You hate our job when someone dies." Hermione corrected sipping her drink.

"We're not supposed to let our emotions show. We're not supposed to care about who dies and who lives. At least from an emotional aspect." Aaron said swigging the bottle back.

"We're human, we can't help but care and that's what fucks up everything." Hermione said bitterly. Aaron turned to look at her but didn't ask.

"I'm getting the impression we're no longer discussing the same thing." he said swishing his bottle around idly. "Remind me why we do this."

"Look Aaron," Hermione said feeling adrenaline from the strong alcohol. "Today, you had to tell someone their kid died. Tomorrow, you might get to tell someone that their kid will live. That is why we do this."

Aaron was not a heavy drinker and was already swaying slightly in his seat. "Preach Dr. Granger." he said taking a long gulp of his beer. "Who knew life could still be complicated once you left school."

"No one taught us that in school or med school." Hermione agreed staring down at her drink.

"But we come to the bar to forget our problems not discuss them." he said nodding for another beer.

"Cheers to that," Hermione mumbled clinking glasses with Aaron.

 _It's funny how one split second decision you make can cause a tremendous, instantaneous amount of regret. When everything you've ever known comes crashing down, you have no one to really blame but yourself._

Author's Note

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for the next chapter and let me know your thoughts!


	2. Chapter Two: Meet Me in the Middle

_Blame. It's the easiest thing in the world to just look at someone and place all the responsibility for a fault on them. It makes us feel better, even if it's short lived. It gives us something to channel our anger towards. Someone to hate, someone to hold accountable for our suffering and our pain. And oftentimes, blame is the most easily cast upon those we care about. We just have to hope, that if they really cared about us, they would understand that._

"I friggin hate the night shift." Leila grumbled dragging her feet across the floor as she made her way towards the group of them finishing charts.

"You look like hell." Draco remarked idly sipping his coffee as he scrawled something down.

"I still look better than you." Leila snapped tying back her long red hair. "Nights are boring, everyone is asleep because typically at night, people sleep."

"People can also die at night, that's why we're here." Aaron pointed out writing out the surgical schedule for tomorrow.

"Let's hope, it'll give me something to do besides finishing stupid intern work." Leila muttered reaching for a chart. "You know, if they did it right the first time, we wouldn't have to check their work."

"You have to check it anyways, they're your patients too." Hermione pointed out looking up from her seat behind the desk at the healer's station.

"Whatever. Guess who managed to get in on Wellington's pro bono aneurysm surgery? I don't know how that woman has so much time to fly over so many kids from around the world to do _free_ surgeries." Leila said flipping the page.

"She's the surgeon in the world who's done the most pro bono surgeries." Hermione quipped. "I think it's awfully nice of her."

"Says the elfish rights activist." Alec snorted stretching his arms behind his back. The group laughed watching Hermione's face grow red with anger.

"Only Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Ilvermorny and some other schools used house elves. Koldovstoretz the Russian school I went to hired actual _people_." Aaron said pushing up his glasses that always slid down his nose.

"I think I'd transfer there." Hermione muttered yawning.

"Hogwarts is homey though." Leila protested. "I went to Ilvermorny and it's nowhere as home like as Hogwarts. Draco and Hermione, you can't even deny it."

Hermione felt herself go still. She hadn't uttered a word to Draco since their sudden kiss in the courtyard a few weeks ago. Despite the fact he had tried to talk to her about it, she was resistant. It was a mistake, that's all. A miscall in judgement.

Before either of them had a chance to painfully respond, Dr. Persephone Foster of trauma came speeding past them.

"Major traumas, Azkaban had a fire! Meet in the emergency room!" she hollered as a stream of attending healer/surgeons stormed behind her.

Boring charts long forgotten, the five of them sped down after them, summoning surgical gowns to pull on. Aaron nearly tripped on his own two shoes in their race down to meet the emergency apparators.

"Do you still hate the night shift?" Hermione asked twisting her hair into a bun.

Leila grinned snapping on a pair of gloves. "Not in the slightest."

They reached the emergency apparating station when the fireplaces of the emergency room lit up bright green and began omitting people. Very bloody, injured people. Leila looked as if dinner had been served as Persephone Foster began barking out instructions.

Hermione reached a pair of emergency apparators levitating the gurney with a bloody man screaming on it. She began checking heart sounds and scanning his chart as they moved along quickly to an open trauma room. Sets of guards began splitting up to trail after different prisoners, their wands raised in anticipation

"What happened?" she asked counting as they levitated him onto the observation table. Right away, one of the guards bound the man's wrists and ankles to the table.

"Rodolphus Lestrange here managed to get a hold of one of the guard's wands and set fire to the place." the guard said eyeing Lestrange with disdain. It was only then that Hermione really noticed the man's face and immediately recognized the familiar features.

"Are you okay working on this case?" a voice asked softly enough so only she could hear. She turned around and was nose to nose with Draco who had either suddenly appeared or had been there all along and she had just never noticed him. She took a step away, with not much subtlety and inhaled sharply.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" she asked the emergency apparator refusing to acknowledge the grey eyes boring into her.

"We're looking at massive brain injury from hitting his head on the ground, his legs were crushed by a pillar, and severe third degree burns." the EA recited.

Kendra Kapoor, the chief of surgery at Hogsmeade General came marching over already checking his eyes with a flashlight. Kimberly Wellington was hurriedly reading his chart, her eyes moving like lasers.

Lestrange's eyes bulged with pain as he tried to sit up, the guard forcing him back down. His eyes landed on Hermione and began shouting muffled sounds.

"I don't want the mudblood doctor! Get her away from me! I don't want the mudblood healer touching my insides!" he bellowed rattling the entire table as he jerked around.

"Mr. Lestrange!" Kapoor yelleld. "Dr. Granger is one of the best surgeons here and as a murdering patient on our table, I'd be very careful who you insulted."

"Mudblood, contamination! My insides will be tainted by impurity!" Lestrange all but howled. His head suddenly whipped back to face the guard.

"Sir, I'm going to ask you not to do that!" Draco shouted, but Lestrange was deaf to warnings.

"Did I do it?" he whispered. "Did I set the world on fire?" he demanded his eyes shining with wonder. "ANSWER ME!"

The guard and Draco together forced him back down, Draco ordering a sedative. As Lestrange quickly melted into the table, light as air, his eyes found Draco's.

"Nephew, my boy, don't let the mudblood touch my insides." he murmured.

"I'm no nephew of yours, I am your doctor and that is all." Draco said stonily.

"Page ortho and plastics." Wellington ordered.

"Major hemorrhaging in the brain tissue. We're going to need to need to do a craniotomy now." Kapoor said motioning with her hand to get them moving.

"Where are my interns?" Draco shouted looking around as they ran alongside the gurney. A group of shaking interns came trotting up as Draco selected one lucky intern to scrub in.

"Tell me why don't we apparate patients to the OR even though it's faster?" he asked slamming the elevator button. He nodded at a girl standing on her tippy toes waving at him with her hand.

"There's a risk of splinching or further damage caused by the abrupt movement of magical transformation with so many people, equipment and an unstable patient-"

"Alright, thank you." Draco cut off as the elevator doors shut.

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on." Elizabeth Putton of cardio mumbled tapping her thigh as the elevator chugged it's way down. "Damn it, this punctured heart won't last much longer."

"Kravic, take the stairs with your intern and start setting up the OR, we'll meet you there." Persephone Foster instructed. The pale blonde looked very annoyed to be sent off with her lowly intern as she stalked off towards the stairs.

"We are not letting this man die." Elizabeth said very firmly as they rolled onto the elevator, the doors closing behind them. "25 guards are injured and 6 already dead. Because one man decided to set the place on fire. We're not letting the number rise to 7 dead guards."

"Robert Emerson," Persephone said leaning down. "Don't die on us."

"My son," he croaked. "And my wife, are they alright?"

"I'm sure they're just fine, right now we're only worried about you." Elizabeth assured as they reached the operating rooms.

* * *

"The shrapnel has impaled his liver." Margaret Mallucci of pediatrics said shaking her head. "This isn't good, let's get moving now!"

Leila and Aaron rolled the gurney as quickly as possible as they made their way to the OR. As soon as they reached the OR, another healer and his team was setting up for their surgery.

"Look Wegener, I have a liver impalement here, it's an emergency, you gotta move." Margaret said impatiently watching Dr. Dan Wegener pause his scrubbing.

"I've had this surgery planned for weeks, Margie, it's my OR." Wegener said as a nurse helped him pull on gloves. Margaret seemed even more enraged to hear her nickname.

"Every minute you and I fight about who gets the OR the more likely I will lose this boy's life. You will only waste the chief's time if I were to call her down to settle this." Margaret said her eyes fierce. "Now get the hell out before you can personally be held responsible for the death of a 7 year old boy."

Wegener looked absolutely and utterly pissed but proceeded to wheel his patient out. Leila and Aaron quickly began hooking Jacob Emerson up to the machines before hurrying to scrub in.

"He only has moments left." Margaret said vigorously scrubbing her hands.

"That asshole." Leila muttered watching Wegener angrily storm off. "How can someone so vile become a doctor?"

"Draco became a doctor." Aaron pointed out. "He even paid for half this hospital."

"The liver is failing!" Margaret shouted sprinting into the operating room, the other two close behind.

* * *

Hermione quickly tied her scrub cap back as she placed her wand into the sterilization slot and began scrubbing her hands. The door slid open behind her and Draco came up next to her. Hermione stared on ahead as they hooked Lestrange up to the machines. Hermione carefully washed on top of the mudblood scar still etched onto her skin.

"Your strong to do this, you know?" Draco said quietly reaching for a mask.

"Thank you." Hermione said shortly turning on the tap.

"You can't ignore me forever, no matter how hard you try." Draco said irritation tinged in his voice.

"I'm not. I just replied with my thanks." Hermione said still staring at Lestrange.

"You and I both know what I mean." Draco said his voice low. Hermione felt her spine tingle as she finished up. "It's been weeks since we've actually talked, and I'm sick of it, I'm so done with this crap!"

"Well I wonder why it's been weeks since we've talked." Hermione huffed her eyes following the nurse's hands as she moved the light above his body.

"The kiss, Hermione, the least you can do is acknowledge it even happened-"

"Oh because you've acknowledged it?" Hermione exploded. "You haven't still been seeing Persephone?"

Draco's face went blank. "We don't know what we are because we haven't talked."

She silently summoned her wand to follow her. "There is _nothing_ of significance to talk about." Then she entered the OR.

* * *

"Now be very careful." Thomas Sharman of ortho said watching as Alec Stanforth slowly moved the drill. "Lydia Emerson, the guard's wife has a broken femur, hit anything vital and we're finished."

Alec slowly used his wand to guide the drill into the broken bone to hold them in place as they healed.

"So...you're friends with Aaron Mathews yes?" Sharman asked lightly as he applied suction. Alec paused feeling his eyebrows raise.

"Yes, it's not uncommon knowledge. Why?" he asked mirroring his light tone.

"Oh no reason, just operating room conversation." Thomas waved off taking the drill once Alec was finished. "Very neat work Dr. Sharman."

"Thank you-"

"So, what's he like? Does he have a specialty yet?" Thomas said cutting him off. "I know you have found your home at peds, has Dr. Mathews found his?"

"Uh...I don't think so, that's something you should probably ask him." Alec said watching very carefully what he said. "He's quite busy as chief resident."

"Ah yes, of course of course." Thomas said idly suturing up.

"Dr. Sharman? Dr. Kapoor is paging you. She suspects an amputation for Lestrange?" a nurse said.

"That should be a fun one." Thomas said happily handing Alec the needle. "Finish up here, will you Stanforth? I have some legs to cut."

* * *

"Damn it!" Elizabeth Putton shouted reaching for a clamp. "He's bleeding out, there's too much of it, he won't last."

"Flatline, we're losing him." Persephone warned. "Kravic?" Brittany Kravic moved to begin compressions as Elizabeth struggled to locate the bleed.

"I can't find it. There's too much blood." Elizabeth said shaking her head in despair.

"We've already replaced his blood 4 times." the nurse said checking her charts.

Then the line went dead and Elizabeth felt stones in her stomach. "Damn it!" she shouted throwing the tools onto the table. "Call it Kravic."

"Time of death, 2:03." Kravic whispered her eyes squeezed shut.

Elizabeth stormed out throwing her surgical gown into the bin before angrily removing her mask. Persephone followed after her, rubbing her neck.

"You did everything you could Eliza-"

"I swear to God, if Lestrange lives through this after Robert Emerson, an Azkaban guard died...the world is truly not worth living in." Elizabeth said sharply. "Now I don't even have to go tell the family because they're in surgery too."

Persephone moved to wrap her arm around Elizabeth as they watched the nurse place the blanket over Robert Emerson's face.

* * *

"Dr. Malfoy, apply pressure slowly, we don't want to hit any of the major parts of the brain." Kendra Kapoor said surveying his work like a hawk.

"It's so sick how one man decides he wants to set the world on fire, and everyone else around him pays the price." Kimberly Wellington, head of neuro said, glancing up from their microscopes.

"Lestrange has never operated any other way." Hermione said curtly moving her wand carefully.

"Dr. Granger is this case too much for you?" Dr. Kapoor asked not unkindly.

"I am fine." Hermione said for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Malfoy," Wellington said with astonishment. "You know family doesn't work on family right?"

"He is no family of mine." Draco said firmly looking up over his microscope catching Hermione's eyes before she quickly looked back at her work.

"We don't get to choose our family." Hermione said mildly.

"Well blood doesn't make a family, love does." Draco countered.

"Yes, because you know so much about love." Hermione drawled resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"I know enough-" Draco began angrily.

"Enough." the chief said softly. "If you can't work without bickering, the OR is not a place for you."

The pair went silent, Draco shooting Hermione nasty glares while she kept her eyes trained on her work.

"Have we never taught you to keep your personal lives out of your work?" Kimberly Wellington asked with disapproval.

Hermione had never felt more resentment towards Draco in her entire lifetime than she did right then. How could she have ever even considered the mere notion of wanting to kiss him?

Despite the fact they had been good friends since they began internship, she should have known that once an ass, always an ass.

* * *

"If you don't mind me saying, Dr. Mallucci, you and Dr. Wegener seem to have a little history." Aaron said as they hit the 3 hour mark in surgery.

Jacob Emerson, the guard's son was a fighter. His liver had begun to fail, but he managed to hold on long enough for Margaret to get in and access the damage.

"We were friends in med school. We were quite competitive and it just became too much one day." Margaret said neatly pulling out the shrapnel from his liver. "More suction, Dr. Bellsan."

"There's a lot of third degree burns all over his chest and back." Leila said her green eyes studying the injuries. "We should get plastics in here."

"Page my husband Dr. Scott Mallucci." Margaret said. "Wegener is not a bad person. He's just been an ass lately, and I don't put up with sulking asses."

"You handled him quite well earlier." Leila commented reaching for a lap pad.

"I've learned how to handle him over time. Nurse are either of the parents out of surgery? An update would be appropriate right now." Margaret said suturing up the tear.

"The father Robert, is gone Doctor." the nurse said solemnly.

Margaret paused her work. "And the mother?"

"They're still working on her." the nurse replied.

"Let's make sure the mom wakes up to find someone alive."

* * *

"Hello Lydia Emerson, I'm Dr. Putton and this is Dr. Foster and Dr. Kravic. We were the team that worked on your husband Robert. Do you remember what happened?" Elizabeth asked as the team of doctors surrounded her bed.

"We….my son and I oh Merlin, is he alive? Where's Jacob? We were...Merlin we were waiting for my husband to finish up his shift because we were leaving straight away for Brazil and then a fire came out of nowhere." Lydia said frowning.

"Your son is in surgery right now. But your husband, he had a punctured heart from all the wreckage and fire, severe third degree burns and there was just too much bleeding-" Elizabeth began.

"No!" Lydia whispered. "No...you can't say it...no Robert-" she said reeling back in her bed. Persephone placed a comforting hand on her shoulder but she jerked it off scooching as far back on the bed as she could go. As if the further she got from the doctors, the less painful the news would be.

"We performed an anterolateral thoracotomy on him but there was too much blood. Robert is dead." Elizabeth said keeping her face in check as she watched Lydia wheeze for air as she gripped the sides of her bed.

"No!" she sobbed. "No...we were going to Brazil, he was just working…we were going to Brazil! He was just doing his job! How? How did the fire start?"

"We believe the prisoner Rodolphus Lestrange was responsible for starting the fire after he got ahold of a guard's wand." Persephone said gently. "There was nothing you could have done-"

"My Rob, my Rob - " Lydia wheezed. "How...how can he be dead?" she screamed smashing her fists into the bed.

Elizabeth felt helpless as she wrapped an arm around the screaming woman, her cries filling the dark hospital.

* * *

Hermione stood at the healer's station finishing up Lestrange's charts in the emergency rooms. Lestrange had survived a fire of his own doing, massive brain hemorrhaging, third degree burns and amputation of both legs.

She'd just heard from Alec, that Lydia Emerson had survived a femur break but her husband was dead and her son in surgery. Over 50 other guards and prisoners were injured and healing here, the other half sent to St. Mungo's.

Part of herself wished him dead. He'd only caused suffering and pain in his lifetime at the expense of everyone else around him. Hermione dropped his chart into a pile before pulling back a curtain to examine the next patient.

"Hey, I'm Dr. Granger and I'll be helping you today. I see you have a nasty cut on your forehead that could do with some stitching. Let's get that started." Hermione said putting on a smile. It was a middle aged woman, her uniform badly singed and her arms covered in burns.

"How bad is the pain on your arms?" Hermione asked using her wand to carefully stitch up the cut on her forehead.

"About a 7." the woman winced. "God I was so stupid. I turned around for a second to see who was calling for help but I turned too close to the bars of a cell and then hands reached out to grab my neck. It was the night shift, you know how it is, I was so tired I - " the woman said beginning to cry.

Hermione was silent as she finished up the stitches, moving to grab some sterile dressing for the burns.

"Lestrange grabbed my neck and held it to the bars and then he got my wand. We learn how important it is to protect our wands the first day of training and after 15 years as a guard, I got careless. And now...Merlin I'm responsible for all this." the woman said her voice shaking. Hermione placed a hand on her arm firmly.

"That could have easily been anyone. Anyone could have had their wand taken. They train you for it, to prepare you. But they trained you because they expected it to happen at one point or the other. Do not blame yourself for this. It could have easily been anyone." Hermione said wordlessly urging her to believe it.

Her pager began to go off repeatedly, her hand reaching for it on an instinctive speed. "God damn." she muttered.

She tore her way up to Lestrange's room where every little bit of emotion; anger, hatred and pain she wanted to express upon him, was already being done.

A woman with dark brown hair, seated in a wheelchair was roughly smashing her fists into Lestrange's bound body. People tried to wheel her away but she had placed a strong shield around them, allowing no one within meters of her.

"Mrs. Emerson, you need to stop! He's injured...you'll kill him!" Alec shouted his hair a mess as he waved his wand trying to dismantle the shield.

"That's the freaking point!" the woman shouted. "HE KILLED MY HUSBAND! HE IS A MURDERER! I will gladly spend the rest of my life in Azkaban if it means, he doesn't get to breathe the air meant for my Rob!"

Hermione could _feel_ every bit of broken, shattered agony tearing through the woman right now. She could relate to the painful loss and grief that weighed her down and took over her better judgement.

Draco then appeared rushing forward to help Alec dismantle the wards

Hermione took a deep breath studying the protective shield around the woman. It was a powerful one, likely fueled by the painful grief. They wouldn't likely get down in time to save Lestrange from the woman's wrath.

Hermione ran to the edge of the shield, getting as close to the woman as possible. At this point, Lestrange's lips, nose and mouth were already gushing with blood and his hands were jerking in their restraints to defend himself. Her nails scratched into his skin and he howled like a bull before slaughter. The most concerning, was his head fresh from brain surgery, thrashing around in his bed.

"Mrs. Emerson!" Hermione called. "Think of your son! Jacob! He's out of surgery now and he's waiting for you. You can't spend the rest of your life in Azkaban, you have a son waiting for you."

Mrs. Emerson slowed her swings slightly as she took in Hermione's words. "He killed my Rob!" she cried glaring at Lestrange with absolute loathing. "Rob and dozens others are dead, all because of this man. He's a murderer, and murderer's don't deserve to live."

"You will become a murderer if you don't stop!" Hermione yelled. "He just had brain surgery and you're causing him to thrash his head around. You will kill him and then what makes you better than him?" Hermione's pulse was began to race because Mrs. Emerson had the moved so her wand poised to Lestrange's temple, the deathly words of finality, on the edge of her lips.

"Think about it! If you kill him, he gets the easy way out of Azkaban and years more of painful torture. If you let him live, he will suffer for the rest of his life as he rots in a cell in Azkaban. The choice is yours." Hermione called as everyone stood in tense silence waiting for her to make her next move.

Mrs. Emerson's eyes bored into Lestrange's mangled body as she inhaled deeply, before moving her wand slowly. The wand moved away from his throat and removed the shield surrounding them.

"You're a monster. And I hope you get what you deserve." she said quietly.

She then hunched over, sobs racking her body as nurses hurried over to wheel her out.

"Crazy fucking bitch!" Lestrange hollered, thrashing around in his bed. "Almost killed me!"

"Stupefy!" Hermione called stunning him in his place. "I'm terribly sorry sir, but we can't risk more damage to your brain than already present." she said in a cool voice. "Get him another CT and MRI, in case of bleeds."

Alec was long gone with Mrs. Emerson and Draco was left standing there, glaring at his uncle with venom in his eyes. Hermione walked up to him, causing his eyes to move to her.

"Do you mind fixing up his cuts? I need a moment." Hermione whispered clenching her fists inside her lab coat. Without waiting for an answer she fled the room leaving Draco alone with his uncle.

Draco moved like molasses to Lestrange's bedside, pulling on a pair of gloves and using his wand to begin sewing up the cuts. Draco made no effort to have a conversation with his uncle dearest, and finished up his work as quick as he could.

"Your biggest mistake will be falling for that mudblood." Lestrange's voice croaked.

Draco turned around on his way to the door, his blood running cold. "Mr. Lestrange, you should get some rest before some healers take you up for another CT and MRI. You've done quite a bit today."

Draco promptly exited the room, leaving him with his guards as he made his way to where he was sure to find Hermione. Sure enough, she was perched on a bench in the courtyard, hugging herself as she stared at the fountain.

He moved silently to sit beside her, leaving enough distance between them. How did they get so distant? If this had happened even a month ago, he wouldn't even hesitate to pull her into a hug and hold her. Now...he wasn't sure whether he should even bother speaking.

After a while of painful silence, he couldn't bare it. "Look, Hermione - "

"No." Hermione said standing up abruptly. "No, don't say a word to me."

"Are we still seriously doing this?" Draco demanded standing up to meet her heated glare. "We are much more mature than this. Talk to me like a grown up Hermione."

"That's just it!" she shouted. "I don't want to talk to you because I ruined it. Kissing you was the biggest mistake of my life, but it didn't feel like a mistake at the time! And now, I can't even be in the same room as you because it hurts too much. It hurts too much to even be in the same room as you and know that what we had is gone."

"Who cares if it's gone? Why can't we start something new? I'm sorry you feel it was a mistake, but for me, it was the best thing that could have happened." Draco said coldly.

"You filthy liar." Hermione breathed. "You can't preach to me about starting something new together when your blatantly involved with Persephone! Everyone knows it and it is wrong on so many levels for you to even consider it - " Hermione raved feeling her cheeks grow red with anger. Then, in one fluid motion, he had her pressed up against him and was kissing her.

It was like she could breathe again, as his lips moved softly on top of hers, his hands running down her sides, his tongue playing with hers. She groaned into the kiss, mussing with his hair as she pulled him closer. He moved one hand to cradle her face and the other to rest on her hips, sending vibrations _everywhere._

Hermione suddenly pushed him away from her, needing to not be touching him.

"You can't do that!" she exclaimed feeling as if her brain was going to explode. "You can't cheat on Persephone just because you find yourself a little infatuated. I am _trying_ so hard to get over you. I'm trying so hard to avoid you, to give both of us the time we need to get over this." Hermione said, all of her emotions coming out in a blur. "Why are you still with Persephone if this means so much to you?"

"Because I'm an idiot!" Draco shouted. "We broke up last week but when you kept ignoring me, I took out my frustration as sex. Meaningless sex with someone I care little for compared to you."

"This isn't real, this is infatuation - "

"Why does it have to be infatuation? Why are you so resistant to the idea of us?" Draco said feeling his anger boil. "Am I that repulsive to you? The idea of us is so sickening to you, you need to segregate yourself from me?"

"Because we hated each other in school. Then suddenly as interns we were best friends. Everything was _perfect_ and then I go and kiss you and now we're in an even worse position than where we started. We just won't work Draco. We're like fire and rain. You counter me, and I counter you. We disagree, we fight...we just don't work." Hermione said breathing heavily. "And I hate you, I hate you for making me want you, I hate you for breaking me and for shattering me into a thousand irreparable pieces I don't know how to put together. I hate you for what you've done to me."

Draco was silent. "If that's how you feel…" he said coming up blank.

"That's how I feel." Hermione confirmed turning to leave before he could see her eyes burning with unshed tears.

* * *

"How did your surgery go?" a voice asked coming up to stand beside her.

"Fine. You are damn lucky he didn't bleed out while you took your own sweet time clearing out." Margaret said typing on her computer.

"Well he didn't die. So I am quite damn lucky aren't I?" Dan Wegener asked. Margaret rolled her eyes, standing to leave when his voice called her back.

"How about a drink? To celebrate my luck and your patient's survival." Dan offered smiling his dimpled smile that always brightened her mood when they were younger.

Margaret hesitated. She missed him, he was her best friend but the last time they'd had a drink together, it didn't go so well. "I have to meet Scott. I'll see you tomorrow." she said before walking away quickly, so she wouldn't have to see his heart broken face all over again.

On call room number 5 was always the room she met Scott in. As she rounded the corner and opened the door, she found Scott was already snoring in bed. Margaret smiled crawling in next to him, wrapping her arms around her waist.

He stirred slightly moving his lips to kiss her head softly. "How was your day love?"

"Exhausting. The night shift still hasn't grown on me, the way it has on you." she replied kicking off her shoes.

He chuckled playing with her long dark hair. "It's so eerie and quiet in the hospital at night compared to the day, there's something beautiful about it. Just like there's always something beautiful about you…" he said trailing kisses down her neck.

She laughed, running her fingers through his curls, his rough beard tickling her neck. Margaret instinctively tugged her long sleeves down to hide her forearms and he paused, raising his head to survey her.

"Marge...you don't have to hide your scars from me. You know I love you, all of you." he said softly his warm honey eyes meeting hers.

"I know…" she breathed closing her eyes. "He talked to me today, Scott. And he smiled...it was like we were in med school again."

"It will never be like we were in med school again." Scott murmured pressing their foreheads together. "It will never be the same."

"Is it messed up that I miss him? I miss my best friend." Margaret whispered resting her forearm over her eyes. "He wanted to have a drink - "

"No way in hell." Scott said his voice like cutting ice. "He can't just decide to go for a drink Marge, he's an alcoholic! Last time he was drinking, he used such a dark curse on you, your body is physical proof of the damage. He almost killed you too. And despite the fact we were all best friends in med school, I will never forgive him for that."

Margaret turned so she could look up at his face. She cupped his face gently in her hand. "I know... but a part of me still misses him. My best friend is still somewhere in there."

* * *

Aaron watched before he left the hospital, as the remaining Emersons slept fitfully in one cramped hospital bed, clutching onto each other as if the other were a life line.

"It's so unjust. The way the world works." Thomas Sharman said appearing next to him. "That bad things, terrible things, happen to such good people."

"When your in a garden what flowers do you pick?" Aaron asked his eyes trained on the broken family.

"The most beautiful ones." Thomas replied softly.

"Exactly." Aaron said turning to see Thomas was already watching him. The two stared for a minute, that quickly became a moment before Aaron cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Drinks?" Thomas suggested smiling crookedly. Aaron smiled following the other man out of the hospital and into the night.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Persephone asked pulling the sheet to cover them more. "Your quiet tonight." she said resting her chin on his chest.

"It was a rough day." Draco said staring up at the ceiling.

"Was it because of your uncle?" she asked tracing circles on his chest.

"He is not my uncle." Draco said sharply and with more harshness than intended.

Persephone was silent as she looked up at him with curiosity.

"You know you can talk to me right? I'm not just in it for the sex."

"Right now, I don't want to talk." Draco said turning off the lights with his wand. I just want to sleep."

* * *

Hermione sat on the stone cold bench, where just hours ago she had gotten into an argument with Draco. She had finally figured out why she was so angry and resistant towards him. She resented him. Hermione had everything figured out, her life, her career and her future. She still had her two other best friends, her best girlfriends - Ginny and Leila - then she found another person in her life. And never would she have imagined it to be Draco. He understood her in ways no one else had. He knew what she needed before she did, and spoke up for her when she no longer could find it in her to do it.

Now, she resented him for making her love him and upturning her entire world just because of one pathetic emotion, triggered by him. Everything about him, she loved, even the parts she hated she loved. But the best thing for their future was to drop it. Any romantic connections would inevitably end in tears and heartbreak, then what was already broken between them would most definitely, never be repaired.

 _Sometimes making yourself believe someone else is at fault, someone else is responsible gives you the strength to open your eyes and see._

"You really can speak mermish?" Aaron laughed as they tipsily reached Thomas' loft a few blocks from the hospital.  
"Fluent," Thomas grinned winking weakly as he opened the door and lead them in. "I'm very good with my tongue." he said pulling off his jacket. Aaron's eyes followed and before his mind caught up with his hands, Aaron was locking lips with Thomas, tongues dancing between them.

Thomas yanked off Aaron's shirt and began undoing his belt as they hurriedly staggered into his bed room.

 _See what's always been in front of you, see what you don't want to see. It gives you the strength and will to pick up and move on. Because as the story of life always goes, something unexpected this way comes._

Hermione's pager went off madly early in the morning, rousing her from her restless sleep. She reached a hand out to blindly feel for it before she squinted at it, reading the message quickly. In an instant, she was up on her feet and out the door bolting to the emergency room.

She had shoved several healers out of the way and knocked several trays over in her haste to meet the emergency apparators. Her mind was shutting down, because this simply couldn't be happening, not today, not _right now_.

She burst into the trauma room making the most noise and felt her knees go weak and her head faint. Harry was lying on the table, his midriff drenched in blood. His intestines were visible through the fatal trauma, blood everywhere, too much blood. Someone was ventilating for him but his chest was barely rising, his ribs clearly broken in several places and a drizzle of blood could be seen leaking out of his mouth. The chief was shaking her head with despair as she examined his eyes and removed the portable X ray from his head. His eyes were shut, his skin deathly pale, everything about him screamed 'no hope', 'gone' and then, the line went flat.

 _Before you know it, you have a whole different battle to fight._

Author's Note

I mentioned it in my other story, my updates are not too consistent or frequent as I am tremendously busy with school and work. Please bare with me :)

Also BIG ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE READ: I created a google sites with information on the characters and pictures of what I imagine them to look like. There's tons of background info on them, chapter links and more! Check it out for better insight on the story and it's characters.

Note: There are some abnormal spaces just so the link would show up, delete when pasting to search bar. If link doesn't work check my bio to see!

sites. google view/ grangers- anatomy/ home

I might switch to wix if this doesn't work well. Let me know if the link works.

Please leave me a review on your opinion of the story and the site!


	3. Chapter Three: Selfish Comforts

Author's Note

Haha I'm back….I know not funny. It's been eons since I've last updated and the only thing I can say is _sorry_! I re read my last two chapters and they were a little cringey for my taste so I'll work on that. And thanks to everyone who's sticking around to see where this goes! Big Author's Note announcement at the end!

 _If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Subjective, debatable many have their opinions. The same can be said for coma patients. When they wake up, some say they could hear every word being said around them, others say they couldn't. Then there are those who never wake up to tell the tale. Then why do people sit by their bedsides, hold their hands and speak as if they can reply? Maybe they can hear maybe not, but the truth is, we do it for ourselves. It comforts us, makes us feel as if some part of the patient is still there. But like the tree all alone in the woods, do our voices make any difference?_

"I don't think it's a smart idea." Alec said angrily pulling on his shirt.

"Why not?" Leila said roughly fixing the unmade bed. "He's your _father_ and he wants to meet you! Why are you so against this?"

Alec yanked the other side of the bedspread trying to help Leila fix it. "I was raised as a muggleborn, and he didn't like the idea of having this unique kind of son."

"Well he's your father and he sounds like he wants to make amends." Leila said pulling even harder on the bedspread. "Give him a chance, you stubborn git."

"I said no!" Alec said his voice raising. "Drop it Leila."

"Just let me do it!" Leila exclaimed pulling the bedspread out of Alec's hands, glaring at him as he stalked out of the room.

* * *

"Morning," Thomas said rolling onto his side to face Aaron. He reached a hand out to tuck the stray hair behind his ear. "Sleep well?"

Aaron smiled, his eyes still shut as he stretched his arms above his head. "Amazingly well." he opened his eyes and grinned at Thomas.

"Wanna go again?" Thomas said already moving to hover over him. Aaron leaned up to kiss him, running his hands down his back. He suddenly paused pushing Thomas off as he sat up urgently.

"What? You wanna take it to the shower?" Thomas asked already moving to get up.

"No!" Aaron said wildly glancing at the clock. "I have my first knee osteotomy today! Merlin I haven't even prepped or practiced yet! I gotta run to the skills lab!" With that Aaron was out of bed, dashing to get dressed and out the door.

Thomas groaned flopping back onto the bed. "I regret giving the surgery to you!" he called, lazily draping his forearm over his eyes.

"No refunds!" Aaron called, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"Alec's being a dumbass." Leila said marching into Draco's flat. She began brewing coffee and making toast as she pulled out plates. "It's this thing with his father, he won't agree to meet him and I don't understand why."

Draco's flat was right next door to Leila and Alec's flat. Across from them was Hermione and Aaron's flat. This building was the most convenient and favoured one in the area for healers because it was down the street from Hogsmeade General. Healers who couldn't bare to see more of their co-workers than they had to, had to tough it out somewhere further.

Draco groaned as he flopped onto his stomach, jamming a pillow over his head.

"I mean, there is no child who doesn't want to know their parents." Leila said continuing to prepare breakfast. She slammed some mugs down harder than necessary and in her mood, sloshed half the coffee onto the counter instead of the cup, cussing as she wiped it up.

Draco sighed as he sat up groggily. He pulled a shirt over himself as he yawned tiredly. "Not that I don't love the sudden room service, does it have to come attached with all your problems?" he asked moving to inspect her food. "And thank Merlin you became a healer instead of a chef, this toast is crap."

Leila glared at him as she transferred her coffee into a mug to take with her. "What is the matter with the pair of you? You've been acting strange all week."

"You know for such a petite little redhead you are incredibly loud." Draco remarked idly sipping his coffee.

"Useless!" Leila huffed angrily moving towards the door. "All of you are useless!"

* * *

The hard chair in Harry's room was incredibly uncomfortable and did a number on her back. Hermione had been squatting in his room for the past few days, scaring nurses and yelling at people who walked by to stare. Because Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived was in a coma.

"He suffered severe internal injuries, serious brain bleeding and skull fractures. The trauma to his body was very harsh and with these kinds of conditions, it is not unusual for him to be in a coma. He could wake up any day now, it's just a waiting game." the chief of surgery, Kendra Kapoor said pressing her finger pads together as she often did when talking.

"But there's a chance he won't wake up." Hermione interjected crossing her arms. "There's no guarantee he'll wake up and even if he did, he could have memory loss or many other life altering symptoms."

"Yes, but there's no way to be certain of any of this until we wait, and see if Mr. Potter can pull through. There's a chance he will wake up." the chief said not unkindly.

Ginny was cradling a sleeping baby James as she watched Harry lay in the hospital bed. It was terribly painful for Hermione to watch them visit Harry and say "Daddy's just sleeping."

"He's going to pull through this." Ron said leaning against the door frame. He hadn't stepped into the room since they arrived. "He's survived a number of attempts on his life and this is just another. Harry's bloody immortal."

Hermione and Ginny remained silent as they sat around his bed. Voldemort seemed immortal too and yet he still died.

* * *

"Draco so considerate of you to show up." Aaron said without looking up from his clipboard. "You and Kravic are in the pit today."  
"Come _on_." Draco grumbled fixing the stethoscope around his neck.

"You snooze, you lose moron." Leila snarked still bitter about his lack of interest in the morning.

"Alec you have a solo vasectomy today and Leila your with Dr. Margaret Mallucci in peds today." Aaron said hurriedly before rushing off in the opposite direction.

Without a word to either Draco or Alec, she marched off in search of Margaret Mallucci. After a while in the pediatric wing of the hospital, she found Margaret in deep conversation with her husband Scott. She awkwardly sidled up next to them and fiddled with her stethoscope uncomfortably.

"I'm just saying you could treat him with a little more respect at work." Margaret said reaching for a chart. "You were once inseparable."

"That was before - " Scott said loudly before glancing around at the stares and lowered his tone. "That was before he became a man I didn't recognize."

"Well you need to show a little more professionalism while your working." Margaret snapped irritably as she closed the chart. "I'm done with this conversation."

"Dr. Scott Mallucci? They need you down in the pit." a nurse said crumpling up a paper airplane message. Scott gave his wife one last withering look before walking off.

"Sorry about that." Margaret said already walking off towards the patients room. "Your going to pretend you didn't hear any of that."  
"Of course," Leila said as they entered the patient's room. Inside the first thing immediately noticeable and quite impossible to miss was the tension and heat in the room. It was as if the room were divided into two countries. On one side was a teenage girl with blond hair laying flat on her stomach as she massaged her temples slowly. Her parents were on that side too looking across disapprovingly.

On the other side was a tall boy about the same age holding the girl's hand as his parents glared back.

"Present the case Dr. Bellsan." Margaret said shoving her hands in her pocket.

"Blake Hoover, 17 was admitted early this morning for…" Leila said her eyes widening.

"Sticking a _sneakoscope_ up her anus." her mother said, her voice dripping with anger. "Of course she would have never done it herself, no, she had _help._ Another pair of hands - "

"Oh lay off Mary!" the boy's mother cawed. "If your girl hadn't gone wagging her buttocks off to every boy she met, she wouldn't be in this ghastly situation."

"Don't even get me started on ghastly - "

"Dr. Bellsan, please continue." Margaret said restoring uncomfortable silence in the room.

"In the past few hours she has begun experiencing severe abdominal pain and was taken for an X-Ray. Scans showed that the...device has clogged the intestines and prevented stool from coming out. Blake now has a rectal perforation and will need surgery to repair the damage." Leila said feeling the tension in the room close in from all four sides.

"We'll be inserting a foley catheter to release pressure that has formed a vacuum on the object. Dr. Bellsan is going to prep you for surgery." Margaret said smiling weakly at the two families before curtly exiting.

Leila pulled on a pair of gloves as she levitated Blake's skirt up to briefly inspect it.

"Blake let me know if your abdomen pain becomes more severe."

"Justin honey, we should go. You can visit this girl afterwards." his father said eyeing their joint hands with disdain.

"You can leave. But I'm not leaving my fiance. I'm waiting during her surgery and I'll be there right after." Justin said smiling warmly at Blake.

"Fiance?" Blake said writing notes down in the charts.

"She said yes last week." Justin said smoothing Blake's hair affectionately.

"After you coerced her into it." her father hissed, his face turning pink with rage. "You're 17 and you're still in Hogwarts. You are much too young to be making such life altering decisions on your own. You both think you're ready but you're only fooling yourselves."

"Dad!" Blake exclaimed.

"In fact only family is supposed to be here. So the whole lot of you can leave." her father said opening the door for them.

"Dad, Justin is my family!" Blake said grasping Justin's hand tighter. "And despite how his parents feel, we _will_ be family too. And you know what if you want some sort of biological relation, I'm pregnant! So technically a biological relation is inside me joining us all together, so there!"

Leila gawked at her patient almost dropping the chart. If tension were enough to suffocate, she would be dead on the floor.

* * *

"Is this where you've been all day?" Alec asked shoveling down some casserole as he leaned back in his chair. "Practicing in the skills lab?"

"I have my first knee osteotomy today and I can not screw it up." Aaron said without looking up from his work.

"Why cause your boyfriend's gonna be watching?" Alec snorted dodging Aaron's attempt to hit him with a clamp. "Don't worry. If anything he'll swoop in to save you if you do screw up. I mean I'm sure he won't think of that one moment in the OR where you screwed up, every single time you guys are doing it."

"How did you even find out about us?" Aaron said his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. "I don't flaunt my personal relationships around the hospital like the rest of you."

At this Alec moved the casserole on his plate around. "Hermione told me she walked in on you guys when she went back to your flat for a shower."

"How's she doing anyways?" Aaron asked reaching for a practice bone saw. "Imagine going to school with _the_ Harry Potter? I mean he was a hero even at my school in Russia and he didn't even go there."

"She's doing fine." Leila said opening the door with her back to allow Hermione to enter rather resentfully. "I thought she should get out of that hard chair for a while."

"I told you I'm fine." Hermione said irritably as she sank down into a chair next to Alec. She turned to Aaron and shot him an annoyed look. "Chief resident here refused to assign me to a case so it's really his fault I was sitting on that hard chair all day."

"Guess what I have." Leila said changing the subject quickly. "A sneakoscope up the anus. Caused a rectal perforation." she said smirking at their gaping faces.

"Kinky." Aaron said stretching his neck.

"You'd know all about kinky." Hermione said stirring her soup idly.

Just then one of Alec's interns entered timidly and stuttered before getting his words to form a coherent sentence. "Er...Dr. Stanforth Lydia Emerson, the guard from Azkaban's wife who you operated on is here and she's asking for you."

"Can't you handle this?" he asked eyeing the intern with exasperation.

"She said it's important." he said a line of sweat forming on his upper lip.

"Maybe she's here to attack you like she attacked Lestrange." Aaron suggested.

Alec stood up with annoyance and trailed after the intern, giving Aaron a very rude gesture before letting the door shut. Arriving in the main atrium, Lydia Emerson clutched her purse looking around anxiously. A sudden jolt of pity shot through Alec as he remembered her husband died here less than a week ago.

"Mrs. Emerson what can I do for you?" Alec asked clasping his hands behind his back.

"I seem to have left my wand here. Did you find it by any chance?" she asked biting her already raw lip.

"That's strange, you must have misplaced it. We didn't find any undeclared wands. Dr. Lou here can help you sort it out." Alec said leaving the intern with poor widow Lydia Emerson.

* * *

"Thank you residents for joining us. We understand you have busy schedules so we'll make this as quick and concise as possible." Xander Reynolds the head of General surgery said. "Dr. Kimberly Wellington, the head of neuro for those of you who don't know her, and I are beginning a clinical trial. A clinical trial that will forever change medical history in the wizarding world."

"Dr. Reynolds is right. We've been working at this for a long while trying to figure out all the how's and why's science fails to provide us. In order for this trial to be a success we need the 2 strongest residents that are _suited to this trial_. Not the two strongest residents." Kimberly Wellington said from where she stood at the head of the table next to Dr. Reynolds. All the residents sat in the chairs surrounding them. "The two strongest for this trial specifically. Something you have to understand is that each surgeon can be successful in each specialty but there will always be one that feels like home to them. A specialty that they can foresee themselves practicing every day. The same remains true for this trial."

"Dr. Wellington and I will be observing each and every one of you for the next little while and we will determine the two residents we believe best suits the trial and will contribute to the success of the trial." Dr. Reynolds said his voice booming around the room. "Yes Dr. Kravic?"  
"When are you going to tell us _what_ the trial is?" Brittany Kravic asked crossing her arms skeptically.

"You won't find out till we choose two residents." Dr. Reynolds replied. "We want to see unbiased work ethic from all of you regardless of whether this is your specialty of interest. You may think you've found your specialty but you won't know for sure until you've exhausted every other specialty and always go back to that one."

"How do we know it lives up to all this hype?" Draco asked rubbing his face tiredly.

"Trust me Dr. Malfoy," Dr. Wellington said a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You want in on this trial."

* * *

Leila felt a major headache begin to form from her hairline downwards. Blake and Justin's parents were having a screaming match in the patient's room, each trying to make themselves heard.

"There is nothing to discuss, our daughter is having an abortion as soon as she recovers from getting the damn sneakoscope pulled out from her anus!" Blake's mother shrieked, her shrill voice making Leila's head pound.

"She is not!" Justin's mother screamed back. "There is a _life_ living inside of your daughter. And your lot may not have much respect for the gift of life but - "

"Mother!" Jake yelled.

"How dare you!" Blake's father bellowed. "How dare you accuse us of showing little respect for life. Our daughter is too young to become a mother!"

"Dr. Bellsan!" Margaret Mallucci said frowning from the door. She had to call her name several times before Leila heard her over the screaming and moved to join her at the door.

"She's almost prepped, Dr. Mallucci." Leila said warily.

"Control your patients." Margaret said crossing her arms. "You are the doctor here and you need to handle your patients and their family professionally. The whole floor can hear this telenovela and trust me, no one's interested." Margaret's face showed little patience as she closed the door after her.

Leila sighed turning to face the warring families. Her eyes widened as Blake's father fired a stinging jinx towards Justin's father. It was not long before both parents were dueling each other all the while screaming insults at each other. Just as Leila managed to disarm all of them, Justin had jumped in front of an incendio curse about to hit Blake's mother and fell crashing to the ground.

His parents and Blake began screaming even more as Justin's shirt burned and the scent of his charring flesh rose into the air. Leila shouldered Blake's fretful parents out of the way and extinguished the fire summoning a wheelchair over.

"Now look what you've done." Justin's mother said coldly to Blake's parents. "You set my son on fire!"

"Well did you expect us to stand there while you fired hexes - "

"That's enough!" Leila shouted above their cries. "This is a hospital where there are severely _ill_ people who are trying to rest. People who are fighting to stay alive through the night and all of your bickering and screaming impedes that. If you must go at each other's throats you need to take it outside because now, you've hurt both your children."

Both sets of parents were silent for the first time since Leila arrived. Blake was weeping softly reaching as far as she could to touch Justin who's breathing was harsh as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Now as their doctor, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave." Leila said watching as they filed out like scolded first years.

"Am I the only one who has a headache?" Blake sniffled.

* * *

"No change?" Mrs. Weasley asked moving to sit in Ginny's empty seat. "I made her go home to change and bathe." she said answering Hermione's unsaid question.

"His vitals have stayed the same and he's showed no verbal, eye movement or motor response." Hermione said her voice hoarse.

"Oh my dear boy." Mrs. Weasley said reaching over to clasp one of his limp hands. "Seeing him like this reminds me of Hagrid carrying him out of the Forbidden Forest and He Who Must Not Be Named declaring him dead." she blew her nose loudly, her eyes burning with tears.

"I can't believe how science, medicine and magic have failed to discover a treatment for comas." Hermione said closing the book on her lap. "Hogsmeade General has an expansive collection of books throughout muggle and wizarding history and I've read dozens of them, none of which have a solid cure."

"Harry will pull through. He always has. He's never lost a battle with death yet." Mrs. Weasley said stroking Harry's dark hair fondly.

Hermione felt something catch in her throat as she inhaled sharply. Mrs. Weasley was forgetting that she was inside a hospital, where battles with death were lost every single day.

* * *

"Make sure you only cut ¾ ways across the bone." Thomas Sharman said standing opposite Aaron as he worked. "Very nice. Practice makes perfect doesn't it?" he said grinning widely, reminding Aaron of a cat.

"Autograft please?" Aaron said receiving the graft on his right. He inched it slowly towards the cut and carefully inserted it inside the cut. "Like a missing piece to the puzzle." he breathed.

"Like a missing piece to the puzzle." Thomas repeated. Aaron looked up smiling broadly beneath his scrub mask meeting Thomas' eyes. He could tell just by looking, he was smiling just as widely too.

Aaron reached for his wand casting a charm to gently tap it into place, so it fit nicely. He was handed the plate and metal screws and used his wand to fit them into place.

"So I was thinking about going out on a date tonight. To celebrate your successful knee osteotomy." Thomas said suctioning with his wand.

Aaron paused his work to look up with surprise. His wand paused mid charm, his eyes widened so much his glasses slipped down his nose.

"Is it that bad of an idea?" Thomas asked sounding slightly insulted.

"No, no it's not that." Aaron said shaking his head. "Why would you say the surgery was successful if it's not even over? There's time to screw up and what happens if the patient wakes up and finds she can't walk?"

"I have full confidence that this is a success." Thomas said brightly. "You were outstanding Dr. Mathews. Afterall, I was your attending and there's no other possible outcome."

* * *

"You know, despite what everyone else thinks, we really do love each other." Blake said as they wheeled her to the OR after Leila had quickly and neatly relieved Justin of his painful burns. "Trust me, we know how young we are. But when you know, you know."

"You don't have to explain it me." Leila said waiting for the lift.

"I saw the look on your face when you heard I was engaged and pregnant. It's on everyone's face. But we didn't get engaged because I was knocked up, he proposed before we even knew." Blake said smiling fondly.

"I think it's very brave for you guys to stand up to your parents and for what you believe in. And you don't have it easy with both of your parents." Leila smiled.

Blake laughed as they entered the lift. "I would never have made it if it weren't for Justin. We hold each other up. It's like when you stand on one foot too long and you need the other to relieve you of the pressure. We have that and that's how I know he's the only one for me."

Blake said this with so much confidence, Leila had no doubts that every word was true. They reached OR 4 and wheeled her in, transferring her to the surgical table.

"Okay Blake, we're going to get this sneakoscope outside of you. I'm rooting for you and Justin, but next time, try other methods of having fun." Leila said squeezing her shoulder.

* * *

"Dr. Stanforth have you ever performed an angioplasty?" Elizabeth Putton asked watching the monitor carefully. Persephone Foster stood next to her looking as she usually did lately. Persephone Foster was the attending all the residents avoided lately. Ever since she called out Leila for a small spelling error on a chart and forced her to redo every single one just to be sure, residents avoided her like the plague.

"No I haven't." he said hopefully, beginning to set down his surgical instruments.

"Good. Then you can pay attention to this one and perform the next." Elizabeth said moving the catheter lower.

"That was mean." Alec said grumpily, picking up his instruments again.

"I'm sorry Dr. Stanforth can you perform an angioplasty all by yourself? Are you the head of cardio? No. So close your mouth before I kick you out of the OR." Persephone said her tone icy.

"Dr. Foster," Elizabeth said raising her head to stare at Persephone. "God, I've heard that the residents are terrified of you lately, but I couldn't imagine why. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing." Persephone grumbled glaring at the monitor.

"Sleeping with a resident doesn't meet your standards any more?" Elizabeth said dryly watching as Persephone continued starting unblinking at the monitor.

"No, actually. Malfoy broke up with me weeks ago. We had meaningless shags but I haven't been seeing him in weeks." Persephone huffed.

"There's no need to lie." Alec said before he could stop himself. The OR went silent as Elizabeth and Persephone looked up at him.

"Excuse me?" Persephone said her nicely shaped eyebrows raising inches higher than her surgical mask.

"Malfoy told me he'd slept with you last week." Alec protested, meeting her stare head on.

"No...we broke up weeks ago and like I said, I haven't seen him in weeks. Dr. Stanforth I think I'd know if I shagged someone." Persephone said her eyes fiery, as if daring him to counter her again.

Alec felt his heart rate jump as he dropped his surgical instruments. "Oh, fuck."

"Dr. Stanforth!" Elizabeth called looking astounded as he sprinted out of the operating room, yanking his scrubs off as he bolted out the door. He paged his intern multiple times before darting up the stairs.

His legs burned as he raced down the corridor. Fortunately this was a hospital and running doctors were not uncommon. He knocked over several trays as he skidded to a stop outside Lestrange's room. Both his guards were unconscious on the floor and the patient was missing from the bed.

"Where is Lestrange?" Alec demanded whipping around to face a sea of confused and slightly frightened eyes. Chaos began to ensue as nurses ran amuck searching the rooms for him. "Lock all exits and fireplaces. Nobody comes in or out!"

Alec knew by the time they'd searched all the rooms, Lestrange could be long gone. Where would Lestrange go if he were in the hospital? Alec paced back and forth, trying to block out all the havoc breaking loose around him. Then, he knew and before he could shout out his thought he sprinted in the direction of Harry's room.

Reaching there, lungs burning, Hermione and Ginny Weasley were bound to the chair and disarmed. Lestrange was circling Harry's bed like a predator stalking its prey. Alec cautiously stepped into the room, making no sound as he raised his wand and disarmed Lestrange, binding him to his wheelchair. He flicked his wand releasing Ginny and Hermione before turning back to face Lestrange.  
"Is this or is this not Lydia Emerson's wand?" he asked watching as Lestrange struggled in his binds cursing the lot of them. He held up the wand Lestrange dropped for him to see.

He looked up giving a maniac, toothy grin. "After the poor old widow violently attacked me, she started crying like a little bitch and left her wand on my bed. I slid it under the covers all the while, the whole lot of you are morons and didn't even notice."

"Why didn't you try to escape once you had the wand?" Alec asked watching with disgust as Lestrange leaned back in his chair comfortably.

"I'm not a half wit, I knew the extent of my injuries were severe and I wouldn't make it very far until I healed." Lestrange said setting his beady eyes on Hermione and Ginny.

"And what spell did you place on your nephew Draco Malfoy?" Alec asked making Ginny and Hermione turn to face him in confusion.

Lestrange glanced up at Alec and smiled crookedly. "You're not as retarded as you look are you? Quite clever, quite observant. I placed a false memory charm on him to make him believe he slept with that Persephone woman. I knew he fancied this mudblood over here, and when he told her the false memory I knew their relationship would be nonexistent."

"You cold, heartless bastard." Hermione breathed glaring at Lestrange as he smiled sweetly back.

Alec turned to his intern who'd finally found him. "Return this wand back to Lydia Emerson, find the chief of surgery for me and page Dr. Malfoy."

* * *

"Foley catheter?" Margaret asked receiving it on her left as she carefully inserted it into the anus.

"Imagine living with parents like that?" Leila said moving her wand in small circles to provide suction.

"I had tiger parents." Margaret said lightly. "My mother was An Chang and my father - "

"An Chang?" Leila said her mouth gaping although Margaret couldn't see through her scrub mask. "You're An Chang's daughter?" she said in disbelief.

"Why the tone of surprise?" Margaret asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well you never use any of her techniques which are flawless and absolutely brilliant, I mean you'd think her own daughter would perfect them." Leila said in awe.

"I use my own techniques." Margaret said simply. "I am not a strong surgeon because my mother is brilliant, I have my own techniques that are just as flawless."

Leila glanced up from her work watching as Margaret scrutinized the monitor, adjusting her wrist so that the foley catheter was able to release the pressure on the sneakoscope.

"Was it hard becoming a surgeon with your mother's reputation?" Leila asked wondering if she was entering dangerous waters.

"Not just my mother's reputation but my father's too. He…" Margaret said her voice catching as she squinted at the monitor. "He was the former chief of surgery at St. Mungos."

"Holy crap, you're Surgical Jesus!" Leila said laughing. "Born of two brilliant, ground breaking surgeons. I pity and envy you. I suppose it's understandable why you wouldn't want to work under your father."

"He's dead." Margaret said flatly. "He died as a trauma surgeon in the final war against Voldemort."

Before Leila could respond the monitor began beeping as her vitals dipped drastically.

"Damn it, we're going to have to open her up, the rectal perforation has a bleed." she said pulling out the catheter. "Scalpel?"

* * *

"That was amazing." Aaron said leaning against the sinks as he surveyed the other healers clearing up the operating room and wheeling the patient out.

"You were amazing," Thomas said resting his chin on Aaron's shoulder. "Let's talk to the parents quickly, I'm starving and I know the perfect restaurant for that date."

"I haven't even said yes yet." Aaron grinned taking off his scrub cap. He turned so that they were chest to chest.

"I'm as confident that you'll say yes as I was during the surgery." Thomas smirked pecking him on the lips before exiting the room.

* * *

Draco had walked through the first floor which treated creature induced injuries, the second floor which treated magical bugs and diseases, the third floor which treated potions and plant poisoning, the fourth floor which treated long term residents from spell damage and was finishing up the fifth floor which was the visitors room. And Hermione was nowhere to be found.

He raked a tired hand through his hair as he watched a group of old witches stroll out of the gift shop comparing presents. Draco had checked the courtyard, several on call rooms and the residents lounge but there was no Hermione.

On a whim, he jogged up the staircase to the roof of the hospital and sure enough Hermione was sitting on the edge with her legs dangling off. Feeling as guilty as he did when he'd stood and watched her tortured, he walked over and sat down next to her.

"Did you hear?" he asked quietly staring out at the bustling street. People were closing up their shops, strolling down the street some entering the Three Broomsticks for a drink.

"Yeah," she said softly unblinking as she continued staring. "I'm sorry for the things I said."

"I'm sorry about Harry." he said watching as she took a shaky breath before turning to face him. Her eyes were filled with tears as she weakly laughed and turned back to face the street.

"I'm sorry about Harry too." she said resting her head on his shoulder. For the longest time, they stayed like that watching the street below. Draco felt more at ease than he had in a very long time. Hermione was his best friend and he knew he there was something within that kiss they shared, but he also knew pursuing something more than friendship could be detrimental.

For now, he was sated with having his person back.

 _There are a number of things we do everyday that change nothing but we do anyways for our own sake._

"Leila I swear to God if you don't drop the subject right now - " Alec said losing his normally calm composure as he spun around to glare at her outside the hospital.

"You'll what? Break up with me? Your relationship with your father is equally important as ours!" Leila exclaimed. "I just don't understand why you would want to lose the chance to repair your relationship with your father!"

"God Leila you don't have to get involved in every little part of my life!" Alec fired back seeing the slight hurt flash across her face.

"He's your father Alec! And whatever mistakes he's made in the past, he wants to talk and repair them now. Why don't you just hear him out and see what he has to say?" Leila said grasping his hand and staring hard at him.

Alec pulled his hand from hers angrily. "He abandoned me! As soon as he discovered he had a wizard for a son, he bolted. The day my Hogwarts letter came and Professor Flitwick showed up, I'd never seen him more ashamed or disgusted. He left my mom and me and my two younger sisters. If he couldn't accept me then, he can't accept me now."

 _Talking to a patient in a coma, voicing our desires to a shooting star hoping for a wish to come true, comforts nobody except ourselves._

"I'm thinking Felicia's. They're just down the street and their food is delicious." Thomas said linking arms with Aaron as they walked through the atrium and towards the main entrance.

"I'll eat anything you put in front of me." Aaron grinned fixing the strap on his messenger bag. "I'm on call though, so I should warn you dinner may be cut short."

"Let's hope a group of people don't decide to die tonight." Thomas quipped as they exited the hospital. There they were met with a sea of photographers and news reporters chanting Thomas' name.

"Thomas is this your new boyfriend?"

"Can you tell us more about him?"

"What's his name? Is he a co-worker?"

Thomas beamed at the cameras and raised a hand placatingly. "This is my boyfriend Aaron Mathews a third year resident here at Hogsmeade General. We're about to go for dinner so feel free to tune in to Late Night with Longihan tomorrow night! Yours truly will be there!"

Aaron felt uncomfortable as Thomas led them past the press and towards the bustling street. He knew Thomas Sharman was a world class healer and being one of the youngest in the field was quite the celebrity. However he never expected being involved with him would come with so much publicity. He thought he knew Thomas better but by the looks of it, it seemed he knew nothing about him at all.

 _It becomes clear that in this god forsaken world, we rely on the pettiest of things to comfort us and put our minds to ease._

"You okay?" a voice asked. Margaret turned around to see Dan Wegener standing behind her, his hands in his pocket.

Margaret leaned against the banister that looked out over the entire atrium of the hospital. This was the heart of the hospital. "I'm fine."

"Wanna grab a bite?" Dan asked. Margaret could feel his eyes on her as she surveyed the busy body healers bustling around the atrium. Against her better judgement and resentment from their last outing together she turned to face him.

"Lead the way," Margaret said before she could change her mind. Smiling lightly up at Dan, she followed him down the stairs and out the doors of the hospital.

* * *

"I'm sorry are you threatening me?" Kendra Kapoor asked crossing her arms as she eyed the man before her daringly. "This is my hospital and I am the chief of surgery."

"You are also a mother of four. One of your children I believe requires... _special_ attention? This distracts you at work and the board would like to give you some room to spend more time with your family by appointing a new chief of surgery." the pale man said crossing his legs patiently. "This is not a punishment Dr. Kapoor."

"Mixing my personal life with work feels rather _personal_ to me Mr. Malfoy. I am the chief of surgery and nothing is going to change that. Your son chose me to lead this hospital and when he asks me to step down, I will." Kendra said indicating for Mr. Malfoy to leave.

"We'll have to see about that then won't we?"

 _Useless and silly as wishes seem when we're on top of the world, it's one of the only things that keeps us sane when we're struggling to hang on at the bottom._

Draco flicked his wand and a beautiful white water lily lowered itself into the fountain. The Memorial Fountain was built in the centre of courtyard to honour lives lost or severely ill patients. Instead of galleons being thrown into the water, flowers were transfigured to honour the most beautiful lives being plucked and taken by death.

"For Harry," Hermione murmured watching as it floated on the water. She felt Draco's arm wrap around her as she watched the water lily join the sea of flowers.

 _And even the best of us need those silly little wishes to keep us moving, keep us waking up every morning, keep us living._

Author's Note

Okay so I have to admit I am much prouder of this chapter and rather annoyed by my last two. I wrote the other two in a rush during busy parts of my semester and this one was written without rush during summer break.

*Feel free to check out my google website for this story. THe link is IN MY BIO. There is a new section called **Reader's Take** with a survey to complete if you have time :)

Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!


	4. Chapter Four: It's All About Genetics

_Genes. The basic fundamental unit of hereditary composed of DNA that is transferred from parent to child. That striking combination of strawberry blond hair and piercing blue eyes all derives from your select set of genes._

"Are you watching that again?" Hermione asked incredulously as she bustled about their flat to fill her mug with coffee. "If you watch it one more time, we're going to have to resuscitate the restart button."

"Shh!" Aaron said his eyes trained on the screen as he waved her off. "We're getting to the part."

Hermione rolled her eyes as Aaron stared intently at the screen for the umpteenth time.

A booming voice radiated from the screen, "And can you let us in on your steamy sneaky hospital romance?" the host of the talkshow asked leaning forward eagerly, as a picture of Aaron and Thomas popped up on the projector behind them. The very picture taken the other day as they were bombarded by paparazzi while leaving the hospital.

Thomas chuckled crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees. "I would hardly call it sneaky Longihan. Steamy yes, sneaky? No." he grinned charmingly as the crowd erupted with laughter.

"Tell us Thomas, who is this dashing man who's stolen our favourite surgeon's heart?" Longihan pressed his eyes gleaming visibly through the screen.

"That love muffin over there? That's my boyfriend Dr. Aaron Mathews a third year resident at Hogsmeade General." Recording Thomas and Hermione said this last bit together making Aaron cringe as he tore his glasses off to bang his head on the counter.

Hermione's laughter echoed as she whacked him lightly on the back with her hand. "Hurry up Dr. Love Muffin you're going to be late for rounds."

 _Your physical appearance isn't the only thing inherited through genes. Whether genetics are a blessing and a curse, I've yet to decide._

"Dr. Love Muffin do you think you could get me an autograph?" Draco asked snickering as he pulled off his civilian clothes. Aaron stalked past him to his locker annoyance evident in his stiff posture.

"Don't be a prat." Hermione admonished propping her shoe on the bench lacing it up quickly. Leila and Alec arrived, announcing their presence with their very audible arguing.  
"I'm so bloody tired Leila just drop the damn subject." Alec hissed angrily as he shoved his way to his locker. Draco's locker was sandwiched in between Alec and Aaron's which made for a rather uncomfortable silence.

"Rough night in the sack?" Draco quipped pulling on his scrub shirt. Alec turned to glare at him darkly but chose to ignore the question.

Hermione watched almost amusedly as Leila angrily changed her clothes whipping her hair into an alarmingly high and tight bun.

Elizabeth Putton the cardio attending entered warily sipping her coffee and eyeing them all with disdain. Elizabeth had been their resident when they had first been interns.

"Since day 1 the lot of you have been a bickering babbling band of baboons." she said watching with her lips pursed as Aaron slammed his locker shut only accomplishing to crush his pinky finger.

"That's not the first time I've heard something like that." Hermione said wrapping the stethoscope around her neck.

"That Dr. Granger, is concerning." Elizabeth said idly already turning her attention to her clipboard. "Stanforth and Granger you're working with Dr. Reynolds today. Kravic you're with the Mallucci's and the rest of you can retire to the pit."

"That's hardly fair!" Leila exclaimed as she tugged on her healer's coat.

"I've been in the pit this whole week." Draco complained wrinkling his nose with disgust. "I haven't been in an OR in ages."

"Do I look like a customer service line you can express your complaints to? Suck it up buttercup." Elizabeth called already down the hall.

"Trade with me." Aaron said leaping over the bench to reach Hermione. "Please, I need something good to distract me."

"Awh Dr. Love Muffin needs a distraction? Your hotshot boyfriend isn't enough?" Draco called dryly as he and Leila grumpily made their way down to the pit.

Hermione sighed as she waved her wand and Aaron grunted with pain as his broken pinky righted itself. "You can credit your talented boyfriend for that spell instead of downing a cup of skele-gro."

"Yeah I can credit him for a lot of things." Aaron mumbled.

* * *

"I just can't believe you!" Scott thundered as they made their way down the winding corridors of the hospital.

"It was one drink and nothing happened." Margaret repeated for the 10th time, her constant assurances doing nothing to assuage his worries.

"After everything, the pain and the grief he's caused both of us I struggle to understand your train of thought. And how are you so ready to forgive him? I can hardly look at him at staff meetings let alone sit next to him at a _bar_." Scott raved causing several healers to glance their way in curiosity.

Margaret sighed feeling incredibly drained as she pulled her dear husband into an empty storage closet, shutting the door firmly. He crossed his arms haughtily and watched her expectantly.

"I understand why you're upset. But listen to me properly when I tell you that _nothing happened_. We had _one_ drink and a little tense conversation." Margaret said speaking slowly, as if somehow this would help her stubborn husband to _hear_ her.

Scott suddenly snatched her forearm and she felt her heart stop as he roughly pulled up her sleeve, revealing two deep twisted scars that spiraled from just above her wrist to her elbow. His grip was tight on her wrist and his eyes pleading as she glared up at him.

"What that bastard did to you I will never forget. I will never forgive him and I make no plans to. Ever. He is not the same person we knew in med school and I will not sit back and watch you get reeled in and hurt again." he said firmly. His deep green eyes shone determinedly down at her as his grip loosened. More gently this time he traced his thumb over her scars, making Margaret shiver involuntarily.

Margaret never let anyone see her scars if she could help it. Scott was the only one who was had ever even touched her scars. She hastily pushed his hand out of the way and pulled her sleeve down.

"I can take care of myself." she said gruffly pulling her healer's coat more firmly around her.

Scott sighed loudly in exasperation. "Merlin Marge, you think I don't know that - "

Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Brittany Kravic opened the door and awkwardly peered in.

"Erm, sorry, Dr. Mallucci I mean Margaret or, Dr. Margaret Mallucci I'm on your service today." she said her body still outside the door.

"Kravic is right, we have more important things to attend to." Margaret said curtly following her out the door.

* * *

"Dr. Granger, if you please?" Xander Reynolds of General said motioning for Hermione to present. She smiled kindly towards the patient and stepped forward to speak.

"Sahanna Muthu, 69 has breast cancer, a malignant tumour that's been operated on by Dr. Reynolds a month ago. A lumpectomy was performed combined with several radiation treatments both of which have proved unsuccessful. The next part of the treatment plan is to approach with a complete mastectomy."

"See ahma, this healer looks beautiful, has a good height and she's smart. I bet she doesn't have death trailing her with a menu of options to slowly die." a young girl who looked fresh out of Hogwarts said bitterly as she flipped carelessly through her magazine of Witch Weekly.

Hermione felt an instant pang of similarity between her and Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil, whom also shared the same sense of airheadedness.

"Trust me, death has trailed me quite persistently." Hermione said tersely placing the chart back in it's holder.

"Daya don't be rude to our healers. And I've told you," Sahanna broke off with a hacking cough as she pulled her covers higher. "You have a long life ahead of you. There's no need to live with the constant fear of death."

"It's not a mere fear ahma! I am predisposed, destined if you will, to have breast cancer, diabetes and early grays! I already know what my future holds. Just look at Auntie Trish she died when she was 48 from breast cancer! I am fated to die of breast cancer or diabetes whichever gets to me first!" Daya said angrily as she threw her magazine on the sofa before stalking out of the room.

Hermione raised her eyebrow at this and had the distinct impression this was not the first time they had argued on this matter.

"Excuse my Daya, she can be rather sensitive. And this kind of stress I burden her with does not bode well with her temper." Sahanna said tiredly.

"Understandably Mrs. Muthu." Reynolds said not unkindly. "Dr. Stanforth would you kindly explain the procedure?"

"We'll start by marking the incision site on your breasts, then we'll separate the breast tissue from overlying skin and finally remove all the breast tissue." Alec explained neatly his hands clasped behind his back.

"Thank you Dr. Stanforth. Should you have any additional questions or concerns I leave you these 3rd year residents at your service. I'll see you in a bit." Reynolds said before leading the pair outside the patient's room.

"That daughter is an absolute brat." Alec said as they closed the door to the patient's room. "I would never even consider blaming my mother for having breast cancer."

"Oh I'm sure you were momma's little boy." Hermione scoffed turning to face Dr. Reynolds.

"Now, I don't know if you recall that meeting Dr. Wellington and I held last week. We mentioned we would be observing you and your fellow residents in our quest to find two suitable residents for our upcoming clinical trial. Now you'll find two cadavers waiting for you in the skills lab upstairs. Whichever one of you performs the better separation between the breast tissue and the overlying skin as well as the chest wall muscle below will earn my attention and have the opportunity to perform it during Mrs. Muthu's surgery." Reynolds said clearly enjoying the eagerness the two residents exhibited.

"Well go on, those cadavers aren't going to perform mastectomies on themselves." Elizabeth said appearing beside Reynolds. Without another word Hermione and Alec had whipped around and were racing towards the stairs with obvious determination on their faces. Elizabeth watched them warily as Hermione shoved Alec into the healer's station speeding quickly on ahead. She and Reynolds watched in amusement as Alec easily caught up and promptly lifted her out of the elevator, Hermione yelping in surprise, before closing the doors on her.

"You and Wellington are pitting my residents against each other. You've just turned the hungry dogs into ravenous wolves." Elizabeth said as Hermione cursed loudly before sprinting up the staircase.

"Enjoy the show Liza, enjoy the show."

* * *

Draco felt it was completely unfair to be dismissed to the pit so often. He was a good healer, why wasn't he given any interesting cases? As he pondered what he should eat for lunch, he leant against the healer station surveying the patients coming in and out through the double doors. A sudden sharp pain came from the back of his head as a chart came flying at him.

"Bloody hell, what's your problem woman?" he bellowed wheeling around to find Leila absentmindedly jotting something down in a different chart book.

"That's the chart for bed 4." Leila said without glancing up from her work.

"Okay and what the hell am I supposed to do with it?" Draco asked snidely as he rubbed the back of his head angrily.

Leila looked up and shot him a nasty glare. "You may think you're too good for the pit Malfoy, but you are still going to help us get through these patients."

Draco scowled and read the chart onceover. "It's dragonpox? A moron could treat this. Find an intern to do it."

"The interns are at a skills lab with Dr. Wellington. If it's so easy to treat you can go treat it." Leila said shrewdly. Draco felt annoyance ripple through him as he shot her one last glare before stomping over to trauma 4.

Drawing open the curtains he said, "I'm Dr. Malfoy your healer for today. Amelia and Madison Cleavey 12 years old, twins, was admitted for dragonpox. One dose of the Dragonpox Cure was already administered at 8:35 this morning and no visible changes are present." he looked up to see two very green tinged girls leaning back to back on the hospital bed. They looked almost as unhappy to be there as he felt.

"Mother insisted we come in. Dragged us out of Hogwarts for this." one of the girls said bitterly.

"Madison dear, have you so easily forgotten your grandmother who died of dragonpox just a year ago? The healers all brushed it off as effects taking a greater toll on an old lady, but they were wrong weren't they?" a teary woman said sternly from the corner.

"Mrs. Cleavey, the cure does not act instantaneously." Draco said waving his wand to summon two vials from the drawer. "However I can prescribe one more dose of the cure to be administered in 30 minutes."

After prying himself from the teary eyed woman's hug, he stalked back to the healers station shoving the chart into Leila's hands.

"Does my writing a prescription ease your troubled mind?" he asked scornfully as he sipped his coffee.

"Much. Bed 6 could use your attention once you're finished drinking _my_ coffee." Leila snapped snatching it out of his hands before marching off.

"What's got her so wound up?" Draco asked sourly reluctantly reaching for the chart she left for him. Aaron was typing quickly on the computer, his glasses sliding down his nose so they rested near the edge.

"Alec I suppose." Aaron said twirling in the chair so he could face Draco. "You're not the only one who has boring cases. Bed 3 has a man with boils on his feet. I had to rub a salve for him because he was too disgusted by his own feet to touch them!"

A loud retching sound came from one of the beds to Draco's left making both him and Aaron wince.

"That one's yours mate." Aaron said cheerily before darting out of his chair and down the corridor, leaving Draco to scowl after him.

"I hope the boil man's boils burst yellow pus on you!" he called.

* * *

"Ah very good Dr. Granger." Reynolds remarked as he passed her cadaver. Hermione felt hope flare in her chest as he moved on to Alec's cadaver. A strange feeling of deja vu flared in her chest. It felt just like it did when potion professors walked by to inspect the students' work.

"However I have to conclude Dr. Stanforth will perform the separation during Mrs. Muthu's surgery." Reynolds said smiling as he clapped a beaming Alec on the shoulder.

"But my technique was flawless!" Hermione protested eyeing both her and Alec's work trying to distinguish how his was better.  
"Yes but Dr. Stanforth here took into account the patient's height and adjusted his approach accordingly to execute a more clean separation." Reynolds said already reaching the door of the skills lab. "Excellent work to both of you. Dr. Granger if you could handle Mrs. Muthu's pre op? And Dr. Stanforth you may join me for a consult."

Alec shot Hermione an almost apologetic smile before hurrying after Reynolds. Hermione studied Alec's cadaver sulkily and sighed, seeing that it indeed was much neater and had cleaner margins.

As she entered Mrs. Muthu's room her daughter was back on the lumpy sofa, flipping through the same magazine. She moved to snap on a pair of gloves as she read over Sahanna's vitals quickly.

"I'm just going to mark the incision sites on both breasts so we know the margins to operate on." Hermione said drawing up a stool so she was level with the bed. "I'm just going to need you to sit up and lower your gown."  
As Sahanna pulled off her hospital gown to reveal her breasts her daughter piped up from the couch.

"I suppose breast reconstruction is the only positive thing coming out of this." she said eyeing her mother's breasts with disdain. "I mean if I'm going to have both boobs chopped off, I might as well build me some better ones. Seeing as the ones I inherited are barely big enough to occupy a _training bra_."

Sahanna stared sternly over her shoulder at her daughter as Hermione drew carefully with her wand over her breasts. "Daya I am not having breast reconstruction and neither are you! There are far more important things to worry over other than the appearance of your breasts."

"And I'm finished." Hermione said quickly before her daughter could retort. Sahanna let out a racking cough and spit out some blood in the bin next to her. "Mrs. Muthu how long has have you had this cough?"

"A few weeks after the lumpectomy." she replied hoarsely.

"Maybe there's another deadly disease we've yet to be diagnosed with." Daya said lightly. Hermione and Sahanna chose to ignore this.

"I'll send someone to do a blood test and I'll be back after lunch and we'll get this show on the road." Hermione said kindly, pulling off her gloves and exiting the room.

* * *

"How's boiling feet?" Draco asked popping a carrot into his mouth as he leaned back in his chair in the busy cafeteria.

"The boils have become less swollen, but a strange odor is coming from them." Aaron said his eyes trained on Thomas Sharman who was talking comically with the other attendings at a distant table.

"Has any pus leaked yet?" Draco asked his eyes also fixed on Hermione as she chatted softly with Ginny Potter in the cafeteria line.

A fork clattered loudly on the table drawing his attention back to their table.

"Can we not discuss boiling feet while we're eating?" Leila asked wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Sure thing. Why don't you ask Malfoy over here what was at bed 6?" Aaron chortled swirling his soup.

"What was at bed 6?" Ginny Potter asked as they arrived at their table carrying trays of food. "Unless it's something completely repulsive, do tell."

They all turned to look inquiringly at him, making him deeply uncomfortable. "It's really not anything interesting…"

"Slugs!" Leila chirped happily. "A man is violently vomiting slugs into a large cauldron."

The table erupted into laughter, Aaron actually snorting some soup out his nose. Heat flooded Draco's cheeks as he scowled at all of them grumpily.

"Irony in the future is much sweeter." Hermione laughed before beginning the tale of Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy's second year skirmish.

A few tables behind them were Scott and Margaret. Scott was leaning back in his chair, ankles and arms crossed while one hand cradled his favourite coffee mug near his lips. He was watching Dan Wegener with a hawk like surveillance, completely ignoring Margaret who was ranting with quite a colorful selection of words.

" - and then he has the _nerve_ to tell me that I inherited all my talent from my mother! 'Oh you have your mother's hands' 'Oh you really do share your mother's talent'." Margaret mimicked bitterly. "Like these are my own mother fucking hands, and my talent? It's all my own, my mother doesn't get to share any of that credit. Scott are you even listening to me? Or are you too busy stalking Dan Wegener?" she asked impatiently aiming a sharp kick at his shin.

Swearing loudly, Scott turned to face her as he leaned down to rub his bruised shin. "Yes, I mean no. Yes I'm listening, no I'm not stalking Dan Wegener."

"Any stranger would say you had a secret love for Wegener while your hot and incredibly talented wife sat opposite you." Margaret said crossly.

"Don't be ridiculous." Scott said taking a large gulp of his coffee. "Who said all of that to you anyways?"

"Thomas Sharman!" Margaret exploded, rage clouding her expression. "I said his name in nearly every sentence you git."

A few tables to the right of the arguing couple, sat another group of attendings watching the group of third year residents.

"Do you think part of him wanted to think of me? Or do you suppose it was all apart of Lestrange's plan?" Persephone Foster asked watching as Draco brooded amidst the table's laughter.

"A false memory was placed on him, I don't think it was created from existing emotions. Besides, you can do so much better than Draco Malfoy." Elizabeth said digging into her trail mix for more pretzels.

"There are worse people to lust for." Kimberly Wellington said seriously. "Draco Malfoy is a serious contender for our clinical trial. You'd think he was only here because of his financial contributions. But I was in the pit for a consult this morning and a patient was coding. Malfoy had the quickest reaction and solution I'd ever seen from a resident, giving him a cricothyroidotomy within the minute."

"You'd say he had a knack for trauma." Elizabeth said nibbling on her pretzel watching as another blond figure, similar to Draco approached their table.

"How's Harry?" Hermione asked Ginny quietly while the rest of group discussed a variety of topics ranging from Dr. Love Muffin to Draco/Ron to Alec and his cadaver.

"The same. He hasn't changed a bit since he first went into the coma. James and I sit there all day and the similarity between them is uncanny. I imagine holding James is like holding a baby Harry." Ginny said her frown deepening.

"Draco may I have a word?" a terse cold voice asked from behind them. The entire group swiveled around to see Lucius Malfoy clearly uncomfortable to be standing in the cafeteria. His cold, empty eyes regarded Hermione with deepest loathing before settling on his son.

Draco looked resigned as he stood slowly before following his father out of the silent cafeteria.

* * *

"What are you doing here father?" Draco hissed closing the door to the on call room behind him. Draco hadn't seen his father since the war ended only bothering to visit him in Azkaban to get all his inheritance and Malfoy business signed over to his name.

It was a sickening feeling to watch his father watch Hermione only moments ago. His hate for his father only increased as he watched Lucius clasp his hands behind his back.

"An anonymous donor has paid for my re-trial." Lucius said simply. "Is there nowhere more...formal to have this conversation?" he asked scrutinizing the small on call room with the deepest disgust.

"An anonymous donor?" Draco said incredulously. "Who the hell would pay 500 million galleons to have you released? They'd work their whole lives to pay off that debt. It's a gamble given the court may re sentence you back to Azkaban."

"A Malfoy could have." Lucius said quietly clearly watching Draco for some sort of reaction.

"We may need to find you a room in an asylum if you think I paid that fine. And mother wouldn't either, she's actually begun _living_ since you left for Azkaban." Draco said harshly. "This is mad. Fines are placed at impossibly expensive rates so that high security prisoners like yourself would not be freed. Never in wizarding history has a high security prisoner been released for a re trial."

"Never has a father been more disappointed in a son." Lucius sneered. Draco felt a sting more painful than he wanted to admit.

"Well I stopped seeking your approval a long time ago." Draco said keeping his face expressionless and his voice steady through the lie.

"Is that so?" Lucius asked skeptically. "Well I've come here to inspect your largest investment. Albeit the abysmal people they hire, I must say it's a clever way to get back into the good graces of the wizarding world."

"You know nothing about any of it." Draco spat. "Why are you really here?"

The corner of Lucius' lip twitched. "I'm here because the choice of staffing here is poor - "

"I'm not firing Hermione if that's what you're here for - "  
"Hermione?" Lucius asked his eyes flaring. Draco thought he saw something else too. Understanding. "I didn't come here specifically for that mudblood. I came to question your choice for Chief of Surgery."

"Dr. Kapoor is a very good leader and has risen this place from the ashes. I see no reason at all why she should be fired for that." Draco said glancing at the time.

"I have a reason for you. Kendra Kapoor is a mother of 4. One of her children is autistic. If word got out that the leader of this hospital was mother to an autistic child, the hospital would look weak - "

"Unbelievable." Draco said shaking his head. "Years in Azkaban and 2 wizarding wars have done nothing to make you see sense. Kendra Kapoor is the surgeon I chose to lead this hospital and if I had wanted your counsel I would have visited you twice in Azkaban."

Never in his life had Draco ever dared to speak to his father this way. But he felt more than justified to begin. With that Draco left Lucius in the on call room, making sure the door slammed on his way out.

* * *

"Alright Malcolm are you ready?" Margaret asked smiling at a young boy sitting in the bed.

Blond with deep blue eyes and a winning smile, 9 year old Malcolm Timmins nodded at her. Margaret motioned for Kravic to wheel him up to the OR while she and Scott stayed back to have one final word with the parents.

"It's a pretty routine procedure," Scott explained. "Malcolm suffered second and third degree burns from the fire and a skin graft will help with the lasting damage on his face. We'll remove skin from his inner thigh and transplant it to his face and stitch it up. He should be back at school within the month."

After receiving many thanks and answering a couple of questions, Margaret and Scott left for the OR to scrub in. This was the part of surgery Margaret felt the most uncomfortable in. Nothing to shield her scarred forearms from the world, she inserted her wand into the sterilization slot and began to scrub. Naked and vulnerable she felt as she moved the soap over her forearms.

Scott was chatting away about something as he always did when they scrubbed in together. They had a pretty good routine in their system. Margaret was silent as she scrubbed doing her best to listen as Scott rambled on about nothing and absolutely everything. His mindless chatter helped distract her.

"Ready?" he asked before they entered the OR. This question was natural even apart from their routine.

"Always," she smiled even though he couldn't see behind the mask. She could tell he was smiling too by the creases at his eyes and followed him into the operating room.

* * *

"Labs for Sahanna Muthu?" Hermione asked thanking the healer before reading the paper. Feeling her heart sink she paged Reynolds and Alec to the healer's station outside the Muthu's room.

In 6-8 minutes both men were frowning over the piece of paper Hermione handed to them and finally Reynolds looked up nodding at Hermione.

"Good catch Granger. An unfortunate result but good eye." Reynolds said tucking the results into her chart. "You can present."

Once inside the Muthu's room, Hermione felt the same way she always did when delivering the troubling news that unbeknownst to the patients, would change their lives forever.

"Mrs. Muthu we received your pre-op labs back and they indicate that the cancer has spread to your lungs. It's commonly known as lung metastases. The cancer likely spread through the blood stream and has invaded the lungs." Hermione said watching as Sahanna took this calmly and in stride. Daya however was still and silent for the first time all day. "There is no cure for the lung metastases but we can give you treatments to improve your quality of life."

"No. No more treatments. My Daya and I have seen enough of the inside of the hospital and I think it's high time we part with it." Sahanna said leaning her head against the pillow.

"Ahma, you'll die without the treatment." Daya said tears spilling from her cheeks.

"No Daya. I'm finished." Sahanna said tiredly. She turned to smile at the healers. "I feel finished."

"Mrs. Muthu perhaps you can take some time to mull this over." Reynolds said logically. "If however, you choose to end all treatment for the lung metastases I highly recommend proceeding with the mastectomy as scheduled. It will buy you more time and improve your quality of life."

"I don't need any more time. If this is the course of treatment you recommend, I agree." Sahanna said. "After this surgery, I'm afraid we'll be bidding each other goodbye."

And it was as if Death slammed it's gavel down signalling the end with a powerful sense of finality. Daya's cries followed Hermione, Alec and Reynolds as they exited the room.

* * *

"Hang in there Mr. Haddock." Draco said flicking his wand to clear the cauldron of slugs. Bernie Haddock had been hit with the same hex Draco placed on Ron their second year, by his wife who had found him cheating. Draco had the misfortune of hearing the whole tale in between bouts of vomiting.

"That was quite the hex, you've been vomiting slugs for hours." Draco remarked feeling a pang of guilt for silly old Ron Weasley. "All we can do is wait for it to pass."

Draco excused himself to leave Bernie Haddock with his slugs retreating to the healer's station.

"Doctor, the patient in bed 9 needs a rectal exam." a healer said handing him the chart. His eyes sought Leila walking towards him, her arms piled with charts.

"Leila dear, Draco here." he said smiling brightly as she roughly dropped all the charts on the counter. "The patient in bed 9 needs a rectal exam."

"No no Malfoy, you don't get to hand down all your dirty work." Leila said as Draco dropped the chart on top of all her other charts.

"Sorry, slug man calls." Draco said laughing as he returned towards Bernie. "Have fun with the rectum."

Still feeling incredibly pleased with himself, he drew the curtain to Bernie Haddocks room and sure enough he was still vomiting. Bernie moaned loudly and raised his head to greet Draco. Draco's eyes narrowed as he inspected Bernie more closely. When Bernie looked up at him, Draco saw that his eyes were tinged yellow. When he moved closer he saw that his face was also tinged the same sickly yellow.

"Jaundice," Draco muttered his heart rate increasing. "Mr. Haddock are you experiencing any pain here?" he asked pressing lightly on his upper right abdomen.

All while hurling, Bernie yelped at the pressure, answering Draco's question. Draco saw with horror that Bernie was not only throwing up slugs but actual vomit. He turned to bellow at the healers station as he cleared Bernie's cauldron again.

"Page Trauma and General!" he said urgently sticking his stethoscope in to take hear his breathing pattern.

"Where am I?" Haddock asked swaying slightly, missing his cauldron and effectively spraying Draco's scrubs with some vomit and slug residue.

"Trauma is here," Persephone said striding in. "Talk Malfoy."

"Bernie Haddock was admitted for the Slug Vomiting Charm and recently started actually throwing up, has pain on the upper right side of his abdomen, confusion and jaundice." Draco recited as the monitor began flat lining. He stepped onto the lower step of the stretcher and began compressions as Foster motioned for the other healers to get them moving to an OR.

"Your diagnosis?" she asked running along beside them.

"Acute liver failure. Can occur suddenly or over the course of a few days." Draco panted as the lift opened to admit the hustling group.

"Nice work Malfoy." Persephone said almost reluctantly. As they reached the OR, Draco moved so they could transfer him to the operating table. He and Foster were quickly gowned and gloved, Persephone already reaching for a scalpel.

"There's no salvaging this liver." Persephone said once deep inside Bernie's body. Shaking her head as she reached for more lap pads. "He won't last long without one. Let's call BWUOD (British Wizarding Union for Organ Donors) and get him on the transplant list."

Draco flicked his wand to provide more suction as he removed and replaced the ever growing pile of lap pads.

"It's a good thing you were monitoring your patient." the Chief of Surgery, Kendra Kapoor said marching in to join them. "If he was vomiting slugs many healers wouldn't have noticed that vomit was mixed in with it before it was too late."

Draco nodded sending up a silent cry of thanks to Leila. After all, he only retreated to the Slug Man's room because he had handed her the rectal exam.

* * *

"Good now carefully separate the breast tissue." Reynolds instructed watching Alec carefully move his wand. "Wonderful work."

"I can't believe she's going to just stop treatment." Alec said as he finished his incantation.

"She's spent the last 6 years coming back and forth for treatment. The cancer just keeps coming back, and now it's invaded the lungs. You heard what she said, she feels finished and we are to respect her wishes." Reynolds said across from Hermione.

"Maybe her daughter will get a spoon full of regret after discovering her mother's latest diagnosis." Alec said sourly.

"Nobody deserves to watch someone they love die slowly and painfully like this." Hermione said her eyes trained on her work.

"Daya lives with so much fear and acceptance. She's already accepted she's going to die of breast cancer. And as she told you she is predisposed for many other diseases too. But her problem is she's living like she's going to die, and that's not really living at all is it?" Reynolds asked.

The rest of the surgery was finished in silence Reynolds powerful words sinking in.

* * *

Margaret watched as Malcolm's parents hugged and kissed him, whispering words of comfort until he fell asleep before she found her feet taking her where it always took her after a trying day. Margaret found herself once again in front of the hospital nursery watching the newborns sleeping blissfully in their cribs. She caught the eye of the head of neonatal and close friend, Lucille Armstrong. She was inside talking to some interns, likely leaving them with final instructions before she left for the night.

Margaret felt a hand rest on her shoulder and another snake it's way to rest on hers. Without turning around she knew these hands belonged to her husband. She'd know them anywhere.

"You really shouldn't keep coming up here." Scott murmured resting his cheek against her head.

"I can't help it." she replied smiling at the little boy that had just opened his eyes in the front row. "There is a unique pain that comes from preparing a place in your heart for a child that never comes. This helps soothe that pain."

Scott was silent as the newborn boy smiled blearily up at them, raising it's little clenched fists before closing its eyes once more.

"We've already agreed there's other options. Besides, you know who you can blame for that." he said his voice steady but strained, echoed by the cry of a newborn in the nursery.

Now it was Margaret's turn to be silent. She felt her muscles go slightly slack as she leaned back on him, closing her eyes. "I don't want to talk about Dan. It hurts too much."

He lightly pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking her hand. "Then let's go home."

Together they walked down the corridor and away from the nursery.

* * *

Draco made his way towards the Chief of Surgery's office and sure enough his father was perched on a chair outside, staring coldly at anyone who passed by. Some seemed to recognize him and after looks of shock, gave him nasty glares and a wide berth. Draco felt he could not blame them.

Wordlessly he walked over to his father and handed him a piece of parchment. Lucius took it swifty and scanned it over.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked standing so he was level with Draco. The paper was being crumpled in his hand as his fist closed around it like an anaconda.

"I assume you can read, but if Azkaban has somehow converted you into an illiterate I can further explain." Draco said stonily. "This is a ban from Hogsmeade General approved by the Ministry of Magic. Under the evidence that you are an ex-death eater who happens to have a grudge against many ex war heroes as well as the Chief of Surgery, the ministry has agreed that this hospital particularly is not the ideal place for you to visit. This does not mean medical care will not be given to you to the best of the healers' trained abilities. You will receive equal treatment at any other hospital in the nation. Should you be found trespassing on hospital property, you will be sentenced to lifetime in Azkaban. And re trial fees are only offered once, so if it couldn't be any clearer, I sincerely hope you _do_ trespass."

The rage on Lucius' face was alarmingly evident, Draco wouldn't be surprised if he leaned closer and slapped him as he'd done so many times before. Instead Lucius shredded the crumpled paper and let it fall onto the floor at Draco's feet before leaning in so they were almost nose to nose.

"You may have restricted me from entering this hospital, but don't you forget it boy, I am tied to you in a thousand different ways. And you'll find each knot is a little harder to be free from." Lucius said anger radiating from his pale, hollow features before turning sharply and marching towards the exit.

 _Physically and mentally, although the latter can most often be denied or changed, we are mini versions of our parents. The same eyes, the same hair, the same smile. The same determination, the same temper, the same heart. Point being a child and a parent's life will always be crossed over one another and there's nothing anyone can do to change that._

"Alec and Draco are going to get in the clinical trial. Even if Draco's slug patient died, I heard Foster and Kapoor talking about his 'spectacular diagnosis'." Leila said bitterly as she pulled on her sweater. "But how am I supposed to even get a shot if I'm always being dismissed to the pit?"

"You're not the only one," Aaron grumbled peeking out of the resident's lounge from behind the curtains.

"Shut up Dr. Love Muffins you're the Chief Resident and you're dating the head of ortho, you're basically a perfect contender." Leila huffed stopping to stare at Aaron. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to make sure the coast is clear before I exit the hospital. I don't want Thomas to see me." Aaron said quickly closing the curtains as Draco trooped in looking downright horrible.

"Trouble for the love muffins?" Alec asked shoving some things into his bag.

"I don't think I'm built to date a famous celebrity orthopedic surgeon. In fact, if I'd known the baggage that comes with it…" Aaron said leaning against the window.

"I don't think you're built to - " Draco began before Hermione stepped painfully on his toes, silencing him at once. Hermione watched as Draco robotically pulled on his civilian clothes and the rest of the residents bid their goodbyes leaving for the night.

She felt the strange urge to say something to him, anything. He was different in a way she didn't know how to explain after he disappeared with Lucius. His shoulders were tenser, his face wearing the stony and empty expression it wore all through 6th year. Just 4 years ago, she would have left the lounge completely oblivious to any of these small changes in mood.

Hermione felt at loss for words and turned to leave when his voice stopped her.

"Wait…" Draco said his voice terse. He seemed to be contemplating telling her something and she felt her feet carry her towards him. She clasped his rough hand in hers and held it tightly. She looked up to meet his stormy grey eyes and gave a single nod.

Draco reached for his bag and arm in arm they walked out of the hospital. Draco explained everything that had happened with his father to Hermione who listened intently, smiling slightly at the things he said to his father.

Then just like that, it felt as though it did a mere year ago. They were just two people who understood each other and what the other person needed without having to be told. They were just a boy and a girl. Not an ex-death eater and an ex-death eater's son or a war heroine and book nerd. As they left the hospital linked together, nothing Hermione had experienced had ever felt more right.

 _Whether genetics are a blessing or a curse, I still haven't decided. But sometimes, just sometimes, people are able to break away from the things they grew up believing so strongly in and finally find freedom._

Author's Note

Thank you very much to anyone who's stuck with the story thus far. I know my updates are irregular and inconsistent, I really do try my best. I prep the stuff for future chapters way in advance, writing it is the part that's tedious.

Quite happy with this chapter in comparison with the first 2.

Drop me a review and lemme know your thoughts.

 ***Don't forget to check out the Granger's Anatomy site and fill out the Google Form for Reader's Take!**


	5. Chapter Five: Long May He Reign

_The Christians worship Jesus Christ the messiah. The ancient greeks worshipped gods and goddesses with shrines, feasts and celebrations. The followers of Buddhism worship and respect Buddha. Muggles worship their internet and personal electronic devices. Society more often than not, find themselves falling into the temptation of modern idolatry. Healers...they worship life and death. Why do people find a need to idolize in something? Sin is the simple answer. A more in depth answer can cause controversy among many. The simple answer is that society needs to believe in something higher, something greater and something more supernatural in the universe keeping an eye out for us._

"We should probably talk." Leila breathed as she flipped so she was on top of Alec. His hand moved to her hips as he trailed kisses down her neck.

"We should probably not." Alec murmured flipping them again so he was hovering over her. She squealed as he continued his fiery trail of kisses further down her body.

Leila felt her nerves ignite as she tangled her hand in his hair, her other hand reaching for the edge of the pillow. "Alec, we haven't discussed - "

Alec's head jerked up from under the blankets, sending spirals of disappointment down her spine. "You want to discuss things _right_ now?" he asked, his beautiful dark eyebrow raising in skepticism.

Leila shook her head no, nudging for him to continue his skilled ministrations.

 _At some point in everybody's life, they find themselves asking a supernatural figure or force to compel their life in the right direction._

"Oh Merlin, keep going." Margaret groaned rocking her hips back and forth. "Don't you dare stop,"

Scott grinned at his wife as he stroked her inner thigh, sending waves of pleasure rocking through her. He grunted as he moved inside her, holding her hands above her head possessively. His lips twitched as she moaned loudly, making his insides tighten painfully.

 _God created the world in 7 days according to Christians. Evolution created the world according to scientists. Whether you choose to believe in God or science, you believe something, somehow, created this broken and crookedly beautiful world._

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Brittany Kravic moaned grinding against his hard chest as she was pressed up against the door of the on call room.

"So?" he asked roughly tugging her pants down before yanking off his own scrub top and pants. His hands all but tugged her scrub shirt aggressively over her head and hoisted her higher as he began to lick down her breasts.

"The tabloids are right, you have…" Brittany panted, "Amazing skills in every...single...field."

Thomas Sharman grinned toothily as he crashed his lips down to cover hers. He walked them over to the bed and moved so he was hovering right over her. In a blindingly passionate mix of kisses and touching, Brittany felt herself coming undone under his touch. As he moved in and out of her, Brittany whimpered words of nonsense only sounding comprehendable when she encouraged him to move faster.

Her heart rate nearly excelled healthy ranges when their pagers began ringing madly putting a halt to her painful arousal. Thomas bowed his head groaning irritatedly as he moved to reach for their pagers.

"Major incoming trauma. All hands on deck. Damn, people really choose inconvenient times to croak." Thomas sneered yanking on his shirt. Even for Brittany's icy exterior, that was a cold remark. "We shall reconvene once this minor interruption has passed - "

Before he could even finish pulling his pants on or finishing his sentence, Brittany was dashing out the door to race for the pit. Major trauma meant a major opportunity to snag the attention of Wellington and Reynolds. That clinical trial, whatever it was, was hers.

 _The allure and admiration for the operating room, extends just as deeply as any religion. Some can argue, it extends into a realm even deeper._

"I can't believe I'm missing the quidditch world cup finals for a night shift. It's painfully injust." Draco complained leaning back on his hands as they watched the quiet street below them. "Russia and defending champs from Ireland are playing and it's bound to be a bloody good game. Even Weasley went without Potter to the game." Draco said shaking his head.

Hermione had been listening idly to this for hours. She was rather used to hearing her boys complain, debate, argue and discuss quidditch. It began to feel like a comfortable buzz she could simply drown out at the back of her mind, while she nodded unconsciously and thought of more pressing matters.

"Ginny has barely left the hospital since Harry was admitted. He would have loved to go to the match. He would have insisted he take James, I know it." Hermione said absentmindedly.

Draco turned to look at her with his steely gray eyes. "He's not dead, you know? He can still come back from this. He comes back from everything."

"The longer he's in this state, the chances are less and less likely." Hermione protested. Before he could respond to her darkly true statement, their pagers began lighting up and beeping urgently. Both of them were racing to the door, their conversation long forgotten as they skipped down the steps leading from the rooftop.

"For someone rather small, you're annoyingly fast." Draco huffed as they sped down the corridor, people stopping to let them pass. Hermione grinned to herself as she cut in front of him to dash towards the pit.

Reaching there first, she began pulling on her trauma gown, Draco right behind her. Aaron was already dressed and racing to the fireplaces. She and Draco followed, still out of breath as they waited for the major trauma to arrive. Hermione felt Draco's hands neatly tie her gown before she spun him around. She stood on her tiptoes to messily tie his gown too. Alec, Leila, Brittany Kravic, Scott and Margaret as well as the head of neonatal - Lucille Armstrong came to join them. Chief Kapoor, Wellington, Reynolds and Foster were already waiting.

"Major traumas are going to be flooding those fireplaces any minute now," Persephone said stepping forward to address the healers. "There was a death eater attack at the quidditch world cup finals. According to the emergency apparator Chris, I spoke to earlier, there's approximately 200 injured victims. Half wil be coming here and half will be off to St. Mungos. Work diligently and residents please instruct your interns appropriately."

"You don't think your father could have had anything to do with this do you?" Hermione asked pulling her gloves on.

Without turning to face her, Draco shook his head slightly. "He has an ankle tracker on while he is waiting for his retrial. An auror visits him every morning, afternoon and night to ensure he's behaving and his wand is confiscated."

A dozen whooshes echoed in the pit as green smoke filled the fireplaces. Groups of EAs came running out with badly injured patients on gurneys. All Hermione could feel upon seeing the first line of injured spectators, was gratitude. Gratitude that Draco had indeed been scheduled to work the night shift and was unable to attend the Deathly Quidditch World Cup Finals.

She hurried over to join the dashingly handsome EA Chris, who was wheeling in a middle aged man with a massive injury to the chest.

"Robbie Gratton 49, massive stab wounds to the chest. Death eaters fired dozens of lethal shards of glass at his chest. He shielded all his kids from them and took the brunt." Chris said loudly as she helped him wheel Robbie to a trauma room.

"Where are the shards?" Hermione asked in alarm. Chris was not retarded enough to pull out over a dozen shards of glass.

"His eldest pulled them out. Thought she was helping." Chris said quietly as a group of crying children lead by a frightened older girl approached.

"Get them out." Hermione barked to one of her interns. "Putton we need you over here!" she called. She began tearing gauze packages open as she began addressing the stab wounds. "Let's hang a unit of O Neg please."

"Holy shit." Elizabeth breathed as she bustled over from a flatlined patient. "What moron pulled out those?"

"The daughter." Hermione replied working quickly to apply pressure to the wounds. Robbie's eyes drearily opened as he began wheezing for air.

"My kids," he wheezed. "Where are they?"

"Your children are being taken care of, you're at Hogsmeade General sir. Let's get him an oxygen mask and an ultrasound." Elizabeth ordered reaching for the portable machine, flicking her wand to start it. "Damn it. Sir you have a pneumothorax, we're going to have to operate immediately." she said, already motioning for the others to start moving the gurney.

Robbie moved the oxygen mask aside, wheezing under the strain of one collapsed lung. "My kids…"

"Are doing just fine, Robbie." Hermione assured him. "Let's get you taken care of first."

"Granger give an update to the kids and then meet us in the OR." Putton instructed leaving Hermione standing there, in her blood soaked trauma gown. She stripped off her gown and gloves already knotting her hair behind her head in preparation for the surgery. She reached the group of children all sitting on one hospital bed, huddled together. There was the eldest daughter who looked about 12 or 13, who was trying to console and calm her younger siblings while one of Hermione's interns (the particularly slow one) was addressing a gash on her cheek. The second eldest was a little boy, who couldn't be older than 9 who was weeping softly as he cradled his dislocated arm. The younger two were both girls around 5 who were whimpering in fright as they both nursed their individual injuries.

"Larovic?" Hermione said tersely eyeing the intern with annoyance. He looked up confusedly before smiling chirpily at her. He strode over to her and clasped his hands behind his back.  
"Everything is under control Dr. Granger." he said confidently, completely oblivious to the crying children behind him.

Hermione raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Don't you think the dislocated shoulder is a little more pressing in a younger patient, than a gash smaller than my palm with minimal bleeding?" she asked her voice rising at the end.

Completely ignorant to her rising temper, Larovic blinked in confusion. "I suppose if you think about it that way. I'll adjust my treatment plan to suit your ideals."

Resisting the temptation to roll her eyes, she edged past Larovic and knelt down to meet the eyes of the children.

"I'm Dr. Granger and I'm going to be helping Dr. Putton to fix your daddy. He's got some cuts and we're going to stitch him right up. Is there anything important we should know?" Hermione asked more to the eldest than anyone.

"They just came at us out of nowhere." the eldest breathed. "A big man just jumped in front of us and shot these pieces of glass. Dad…" she said losing her voice slightly. "Dad pushed us behind him. And there was so many pieces of glass in him and so much blood...I pulled them out to help him breathe. But his breathing didn't get better."

"Don't you worry. We're going to do our best to fix him okay? Dr. Larovic is going to take good care of you." she said more as an order and threat to Larovic than the child. She smiled once more at the group of children before walking towards the elevator. She'd decided to keep the little bit of information about the fatality of the daughter's actions to herself. Afterall as Hermione's medical recommendation, remaining in ignorance would be much more beneficial to her treatment plan.

* * *

A loud, agonized scream tore through the woman as she gripped the sheets of the gurney. "He can't…" she panted. "He's too small to come out."

"Mrs. Chang - Audrey," Lucille Armstrong, head of Neonatal said slowly. "You were hit by a sectumsempra near the uterus. It's torn completely and begun to bleed severely. If we don't perform a c section and control the bleeding _now,_ your baby will die either way. I won't lie, it is going to be a very premature baby but it's chances of survival are higher as a premie than waiting while you bleed out."

"Stanforth let's book an OR." Margaret said nodding at Alec who hurried off. "Audrey, I promise you I'm going to do everything I can to reunite you and the baby. I can't keep that promise if you don't let us perform this c section."

Audrey let out another gut wrenching scream as Lucille flicked her wand to replace the unit of blood and continued to hold pressure.

"Fine…" Audrey said outright sobbing. "I just wanted to surprise my husband with these quidditch tickets. He was working late so I went to book our seats before he came and now...I've killed our child!" she cried loudly as they began wheeling her to the OR.

"You couldn't have known Audrey." Lucille said sincerely as they ran. As they reached the OR, Alec came speeding down skidding to a stop in front of their gurney.

"No go." he said shaking his head. "All the ORs are full and the last one was just booked by Dr. Sharman and Dr. Wegener."

"Damn it, this can't wait." Lucille said her face hardening into a mask of authority. "What do they have?"  
"A splintered knee that needs surgery and Wegener suspects a cyst on the liver." Alec recited from memory. It seemed the eager resident already knew their case was of higher priority and was just looking for confirmation and permission.

"We're going in. Tell Wegener and Sharman I'm terribly sorry but sectumsempra to the uterus of a 30 week pregnant lady takes precedence." Lucille said already wheeling Audrey in.

"Stanforth!" Margaret called stopping Alec midway down the corridor. "I'll talk to Wegener and Sharman. They'll stake you for even daring to cancel their surgery." Alec appeared to be extremely relieved and pleased turning to walk back towards the OR.

"Trauma room 8." he said before entering the scrub room.

* * *

"We've got a quidditch player from Russia here!" an EA called. Draco promptly body checked Aaron out of the way as he skirted to a halt in front of the gurney next to none other than Wellington.

"Mine!" he shouted over his shoulder as they wheeled the patient to a spare trauma room that had just been evacuated after a patient coded and died.

"We could use one more set of hands." Wellington said surveying the patient's eye response with her wand.

"Mine!" Leila cried, barreling out of nowhere as she shoulder butted Aaron into a crash cart to join the group in the trauma room.

"Let's order a CT scan, I'm suspecting an edema but I'd like to get a zero in on the location of the swelling. Sir can you tell us what happened?" Wellington asked jotting some notes in a chart.

"Sir?" Draco exclaimed once he got a good look at the patient's face. "That's Vladimir Stamkos! He's the best chaser in the game playing for Russia. He's a triple threat, known as Trikos. Tri for three in Russian because he - "

"So you've heard of me?" Stamkos grinned toothily revealing 2 missing teeth at the back. "If you can fix my head so I can get back in the game, I'll give you a lifetime of free tickets to watch Russia."

Draco laughed happily. "Deal," he said grinning wildly. He probably could have afforded tickets for his entire lifetime and afterlife to watch Russia but free tickets from Trikos himself? What a catch.

"Sorry, Mr. Stamkos if you could tell us how you were injured that would be a big help." Wellington said eyeing Draco with warning.

"Fell off my broom. I was going in for the kill when an Irish player came speeding towards me. Only he didn't have the same uniform as the other Irish players. He wore a slightly darker green and instead of going for the quaffle he hexed me right off my broom and boom! That's all I remember." Stamkos said with hand gestures to enhance the dramatics of the story.

"Well Mr. Stamkos, you're not the first quidditch player I've had to stitch up because of a quidditch accident. We'll get you a CT scan and then we'll see you in surgery." Wellington said handing Leila the chart. "Manage his pre-op as fast as you can and I'll meet you in 30 minutes."

"I can't believe I'm Vladimir Stamkos' healer." Draco said putting his stethoscope on. "The Trikos."

"Vladi?" a surprised voice asked from the door. They all turned to see Brittany Kravic standing there in astonishment. "What are you doing here?" realization dawned on her face and she smacked a hand to her forehead and gasped. "Russia was playing…"

"Brittany - " Vladimir said trying to sit up and was immediately restrained by Leila and Draco. "I didn't know you worked here now."

After a minute or so of intense gazing, they burst into rapid fire Russian conversation which entailed a wide combination of heated parts and deep parts. Draco and Leila awkwardly continued pre-op as the pair chatted loudly. Draco stood up from his examination and wrinkled his nose in frustration.

"Trikos had 3 wives...all divorced...I think…." he said more to himself. "The first was a Russian veela, the second was an ex-tipper no...stripper and the third…holy crap...the third was a doctor." Draco said his eyes widening as they turned to train on Brittany. "You're Vladimir Stamkos' 3rd ex wife?"

Brittany chose not to respond but didn't deny the titlement either. "Let me see his chart."

Leila wordlessely handed it over as they gaped at her with this newfound knowledge. Brittany scanned the chart over with her piercing eyes as the monitor began to ring. Trikos was crashing and he was crashing fast.

"Get a crash cart. Page Dr. Wellington! We don't have time for the CT." Draco ordered beginning compressions as Leila prepared the paddles.

"Charge to 150." Leila ordered positioning the paddles properly. "Clear!" she called and the room watched as Trikos' chest jerked in response to the shock.

"Let's charge to 200. Clear."

Another jerk and the monitor continued to flatline. Brittany came striding from behind them and attempted to wrestle the paddles away from Leila.

"If Vladi dies on your watch I'll sue you for all your red hair is worth." Brittany sneered in response to Leila's unrelenting grip on the paddles.

"Can we get Dr. Kravic out please?" Wellington asked marching in with a pair of gloves. As Brittany was roughly forced outside, Leila delivered one more shock at 300 and Trikos' heart rate stabilized. "Let's get moving people,"

Once inside the scrub room, Draco inserted his wand into the sterilization slot and began to quickly scrub. Leila was on his left and Wellington was on his right.

"I understand the pair of you are eager to impress me for the clinical trial. But I find prudence in reminding you that the man on the table is not Vladimir Stamkos, the Russian chaser. He is a person and he is the ex husband of one of your own. Treat him as such. Because if he dies on our hands, it's not the press you'll have trouble answering to. It'll be the permanent resentment and despise Brittany Kravic will hold against you."

* * *

"Making the incision in the chest wall between the ribs." Elizabeth said moving the scalpel with her wand slowly across the previously unmarked skin. "Granger can I get more suction?"  
"If only the eldest daughter realized how much more damage she'd be doing by removing the glass." Hermione said shaking her head as she reached for some lap pads. "How did this even happen?"

"I was talking to the chief after we lost our first trauma patient," Elizabeth said without looking up from her work. "She said three death eaters who evaded capture managed to sneak in as spectators and started killing people. The Prophet's television broadcast has labelled it as terrorism."  
Hermione felt a weight in her chest she thought would ease after the fall of the Dark Lord. However she was extremely crestfallen when the weight remained stubbornly in her chest, sharpening and twitching every time a new act of terror befell the wizarding world.

"I've got control of the bleeding. If someone could turn on the Wizarding Wireless Network?" Putton asked reaching for a clamp. A scrub healer flicked her wand and the familiar buzz of the radio surrounded them.

"Breaking news, Quidditch Cup Catastrophe death toll continues to climb as the three death eaters responsible are being questioned as we speak. Antonin Dolohov, Corban Yaxley and Evan Rosier, all death eaters who managed to avoid capture after the war, are the culprits responsible for the massacre at the Quidditch World Cup Finals. All three men snuck in as spectators and began murdering and maiming innocents in the stands. According to a survivor who prefers to remain anonymous, an Irish beater switched off with a substitute who instantly flew up to meet famous chaser, Stamkos and promptly jinxed him off his broom. After this key indicative event that something was severely wrong, havoc began to spread. Dolohov unmasked himself as the death eater who hexed Stamkos and spectators began to scramble. Rosier was reported to be flying around on a broom as he fired death curses left and right, while Yaxley stood from the very top row of the pitch and shot down any innocent within reach. The most disturbing part of this horrific tragedy, was the unsettling message left behind. According to survivors, once aurors began arriving and capture was inevitable, Dolohov fired the dark mark above the stadium with a new addition reading; 'Long May the Dark Lord Reign'." the news commentator read, sending chills up Hermione's spine.

"Can we turn that off?" she asked feeling the weight in her chest press against her painfully. The scrub healer switched it off and they continued to work in silence.

"You'd think with the fall of the Dark Lord, his reign of terror would end." Elizabeth said warily as she motioned for the ventilator to be turned on.

"It just goes to show how powerful his influence is even in death," Hermione said finding it difficult to concentrate on the surgical field. "I think I'll go update the kids, if you don't need me."

Elizabeth nodded indicating she was excused, and Hermione stripped off her surgical equipment before stepping out into the corridor. The first breath lessened the weight in her chest and relieved some of the claustrophobia she was feeling. She returned to the pit and surveyed the bustling department. Persephone was ordering interns to new trauma beds and was rushing around attending to different badly injured patients. In the corner, Aaron was scolding Larovic for something she couldn't be bothered to find out about, although she figured she'd hear a complaint about her intern later on. In the centre, Thomas Sharman was painfully resetting a bone as a grown woman shrieked in pain. Chief Kapoor was examining a young man with strangely familiar red hair and pale skin…

"Ron!" Hermione called running to the trauma bed where they were situated. She felt her body collide with his chest as she hugged him hard. "Good Lord Ron, you had to go to the Cup Finals today didn't you? You absolute lucky, moronic bastard!"

"Play lightly Dr. Granger." Chief Kapoor warned pocketing her wand. "Your friend Ron here may have a concussion. Let's order a CT and keep him for observation." she said to one of Draco's timid interns, who nodded nervously before darting off.

"Thank you Chief," Hermione nodded at Kapoor before turning back to Ron. "I have to go, but I'm really glad you're alright."

Ron smiled wanly at Hermione. "I hexed Rosier off the broom he was on. I figured as an auror who was already there, I might as well do my best to wrangle these gits."

Hermione smiled in response and lightly touched his shoulder before turning and hurrying over to a bench where Robbie's children were waiting. She did her best to look composed and professional which was exactly the opposite of what she was feeling.

* * *

"Margie!" Dan called upon seeing her purposeful form marching towards him. "What can I do for you? I was just about to go into surgery with Sharman but I can't seem to find the OR he booked."

Margaret took a deep breath before stopping a foot or so in front of him. "That's because the OR was switched to an emergency C section that Dr. Armstrong and I are working on. I came to let you know before I headed back in. As a courtesy."

Dan's smile vanished as he surveyed her with wary eyes. "You know Margie, stealing my surgeries as residents was one thing. But as attendings it's becoming an annoyingly repetitive habit of yours."

"It's not personal or intentional. It's work. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I have to get back." she said feeling her voice catch as the events of the day caught up to her. She turned to leave and felt his warm hand on her forearm. Right over where her intertwined scars were. She tried to pull away but his grip was firm.

Dan lead her into a supplies closet and closed the door quietly. "Are you alright Margie? You don't seem yourself. You don't look so good either."

Margaret did her best to compose her face into what would appear as a perfectly complacent and ordinary look but found cracks spreading along her facade and before she could stop herself, tears were flowing hot and fast down her cheeks.

Dan pulled her into a one armed hug and pressed her head into his solid chest. "Margie...what's wrong?"

Margaret felt her knees weaken and her breath hitch as she slid down onto the floor, dragging Dan with her. She pressed a hand to her trembling lips and inhaled sharply. It was as if the air from her lungs was being drawn out by a massive vacuum.

"A 30 week pregnant lady goes to a quidditch match and gets hit by a sectumsempra. Scott and I...have been trying and trying and...nothing. Yet this woman who's carrying a human being, might lose her life and her childs. How is any of this fair? The irony - "

She continued to sob, the cries wracking her body as Dan held her tightly to his chest. The mixed emotions of pain, irony and injustice was frying her heart from the inside, out. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and said nothing. Normally he would offer words of comfort or assurance but he was remaining oddly silent. It was then, Margaret felt the realization sink in. What could Dan possibly say when he was the _reason_ she and Scott would forever be unsuccessful in their attempts for a child?

She stilled and pulled away from Dan, standing up unsteadily. She wiped her face, keeping her eyes trained on the door as she felt the once friendly atmosphere disintegrate. She breathed deeply before exiting promptly, without a word to Dan and returned to the OR, where a 30 week pregnant woman was waiting for her to save her child.

If she couldn't have one of her own children, she could do her best to make sure Audrey Chang did.

* * *

"Bellsan what can cause brain edemas?" Wellington asked as she trained her eyes on Stamkos' brain through the neurosurgery microscopes.

"Well Stamkos' specifically fell from his broom and it caused the tissues in his brain to swell severely. The skull isn't able to accomodate the swelling and intracranial pressure builds up which causes his brain to press against his skull." Leila said as she smirked at Draco from over her microscope.

"Correct." Wellington remarked as she slowly moved her wand in small sections. "We've got to relieve the intracranial pressure before his memory and comprehension is permanently damaged."

"It doesn't help that Kravic is watching us like some mother hawk." Draco said trying not to sneer at her in the gallery. "I mean they're divorced, she shouldn't give a damn."

"Feelings don't disappear just because a marriage does." Leila argued shooting Draco a nasty look. "Don't be insensitive. This is the most emotion I've seen from her since we met her in our intern year."

Draco snorted behind his mask and felt Wellington's judgemental eyes settle on him. He did his best to refrain from bursting into laughter behind his mask and compose himself.

"Neither of you seemed to understand what I warned you of before surgery." Wellington said with a hint of disappointment and irritation.

When neither of them seemed to know how to respond to this, Wellington glanced up in exasperation. "For God's sake you're supposed to be her classmates. Her partners, her coworkers, her support system! You don't have to be drinking buddies but the least you _all_ could do is show some inclusiveness and respect for her."

"It's not like we haven't tried." Leila said feebly. "We've tried to invite her out, talk to her, but she's just not interested in socializing."

"It truly fazes me how future _surgeons_ who work their whole lives to _help_ people, lack the basic skills of empathy and compassion." Wellington snapped. "Now shut up and hand me the bone saw, we've reached the skull."

* * *

Aaron was pissed. Pissed beyond words. So pissed he was fighting the temptation to storm into OR 3 and hex Leila and Draco into the next millennium. Aaron was chief resident for Merlin's sake. He had every right to an exhilarating case or a chance to impress Wellington and Reynolds in surgery.

"Apply ice frequently until the swelling goes down. You can take a few doses of pain medication if the pain begins to increase, but your scans are clear and you're cleared to go." Aaron said smiling blankly at a distraught and weepy older woman who nodded as she sniffled and grabbed her ratty purse.

He turned to hand the chart to the healers at the healers station and leaned back to survey the pit. Majority of the patients had been seen to, the urgent ones already escorted to surgery. Foster was still bustling around and treating a few patients here and there and Reynolds was scolding Larovic in an empty meeting room. Aaron spotted Thomas finish up with a teenage boy and watched as he strode off to an empty on call room.

Without really deciding to, he quickly yelled out that the patient in bed 5 needed discharge papers to the healer in the healers station and took off after Thomas. He didn't know what he was going to say to him about his distance lately, just that he was going to say something. He opened the door to the on call room, fully prepared to burst into a speech about Merlin knows what when he was met with a startling sight.

Thomas was hunched over on the on call bed and was breathing heavily. His breaths were coming out in short puffs and his shoulders were taut with tension. Aaron was startled to see confident, swaggering Thomas hunched over so vulnerably.

Aaron felt his heart constrict as he met Thomas' bright green eyes from across the on call room. He shut the door and moved to sit next to him. He wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders, feeling a strong desire to shield him.

"What happened?" he asked placing his other hand on Thomas' knee. "Talk to me."

Thomas stilled under his touch and to his surprise, shuffled over away from him. Trying to mask his hurt, Aaron fiddled with his stethoscope as he watched Thomas inhale sharply. They had never been this awkward before.

"Did something happen?" Aaron asked with uncertainty.

Before Thomas could respond, the door to the on call room banged open and Brittany Kravic stormed in, slamming it back shut. Her back was to them as she began stripping off her shirt and pulling her hair out of her messy ponytail.

"I got your page, are you ready to finish what we started this morning? I've had the worst day, you wouldn't even believe how crappy things have become - " she froze midway from pulling her pants down.

Aaron felt his jaw drop and his heart ice over as he drunk in the sight of Brittany's half naked form standing before his boyfriend expectantly. She cursed loudly and quickly yanked her scrubs back on in embarrassment.

Aaron turned in disbelief to Thomas who was staring stonily at Brittany. The tension in the room intensified as she strode over to him. She cracked a slap across his face, humiliation and rage burning on her cheeks.

"The next time you page me to an on call room to have sex, it'd be nice to know your pathetic excuse for a boyfriend would be joining us." she snapped storming out of the on call room, leaving a seething trail of anger and what appeared to be pain behind.

The door shut with a resounding snap and the silence between Aaron and Thomas was growing unbearable.

"Why?" Aaron asked standing up and walking to the other side of the room, unable to tolerate being within such close vicinity with Thomas.

"Why?" Thomas echoed back with incredulity. "Well maybe because I needed to find someone who was used to being involved with celebrities. Someone who could _handle_ the 'baggage' associated with dating a popular public figure. Someone who could be with me and tell me the truth about how they feel. Someone other than _you_."

Aaron felt each word like a whip cracking across his back. It was painful to know Thomas' unfaithfulness had everything to do with Aaron and nothing to do with him. "When? When did you find out?"

Thomas looked away from Aaron and sighed deeply. "When I came to the resident's lounge to see if you were ready to go a few weeks ago. Not that it matters. Point is, you felt more justified telling your friends about us, than me."

Aaron gulped, feeling as if he swallowed a giant rock that had moved down his esophagus and settled on the floor of his stomach. "I guess that's it then."

"I guess so." Thomas said still avoiding Aaron's eye. "I hope you find someone who's baggage you _can_ handle."

Without another glance in Thomas' direction, Aaron left the on call room and everything they had, behind.

* * *

"When we began the operation, we'd managed to get into collapsed lung and begin some of the repair to the damaged lung." Elizabeth said clasping her hands behind her back. Taking a deep breath she said, "Unfortunately we encountered several challenging complications during surgery…"

Mrs. Gratton began to cry as she wrapped one arm around herself and the other hand was pressed to her mouth to stifle the half sobs.

"There were extensive stab wounds to his chest from the shards of glass that were fired at him. Some penetrated so far into the chest, it collapsed his lung. Since the shards were removed the bleeding became severe and…"

"We couldn't save him. Mrs. Gratton we're so sorry," Hermione continued. "But Robbie is dead. The blood loss was too severe."

Mrs. Gratton failed to stifle the next sob that tore through her as she fell back into the chair. "How?" she said shakily. "How could the shards just be removed?"

Elizabeth and Hermione shared an uncomfortable look as Mrs. Gratton waited.

"Your...your eldest daughter thought she was helping when she removed the pieces of glass from your husband's chest." Elizabeth breathed. Hermione felt her chest constrict as she watched Mrs. Gratton shake her head and mutter protests under her breath.

"You mean...are you saying...my daughter killed my husband?" Mrs. Gratton stuttered her hands shaking uncontrollably.

Elizabeth sat down next to Mrs. Gratton and began to explain the complications, doing her best not to make it seem like her daughter's actions were fatal and the cause of Robbie's death.

"We're so sorry Mrs. Gratton." Elizabeth said squeezing her hand before standing up. Mrs. Gratton's 4 children began running over from the social worker, the eldest walking slowly and unsurely as she observed the surgeons standing with her sobbing mother.

Hermione felt sympathy and pity for the guilt she would surely feel, before she and Elizabeth excused themselves and retreated to the corridors where healers could be found hurrying up and down.

"Can you do a check on all my post-ops before rounds?" Elizabeth asked yawning widely. "Holy crap it's 7 in the morning already. Gather your interns for rounds at 8:30 sharp."

Hermione pulled off her scrub cap and reached for the first chart, feeling that weight in her chest return to it's deathly silent dormant state.

* * *

"Bellsan see if you can find Kravic and let her know he's okay." Wellington said tiredly as she reached for the coffee mug. "Malfoy do a check on my post-ops. Good work today from the both of you."

Leila and Draco tiredly made their way to the nearest healers' station reaching for their respective charts.

"How is it already 7am and I haven't gotten a wink of sleep?" Leila mumbled scanning over Vladimir's chart before closing it and stretching her arms.

"The high of surgery is addicting." Hermione smiled weakly from where she stood on the opposite side of the healers' station.

"You won't believe who we just operated on." Draco said his grey eyes lighting up with excitement, reminding Hermione distinctly of a child.

"At least you don't have to have the most awkward conversation with Kravic. You just get to do routine post-ops." Leila huffed rubbing her eyes groggily.

Hermione seemed to spot something over Leila's shoulder and groaned. "The idioticness of Larovic can be astounding more often than annoying. Larovic!"

 _There is an extremely dangerous religion. The religion that feeds darkness, commits sin for the 'greater good' and practices for nobody but themselves...the religion of power, greed and evil._

Leila felt weariness as she approached Brittany Kravic who was sitting on the steps of an empty stairwell.

"Finally I found you! I paged you like 10 times! The least you can do is answer me or tell me where you are - " Leila paused when she saw Brittany was crying, _real_ tears of pain and hurt. She sat down on the step below her and glanced up uncomfortably.

"Er...Kravic...Brittany? Are you alright? Uhm...is it Vladimir?" Leila asked only resulting in making her cry harder. Feeling panicked, Leila reached a hand out to clasp one of hers. "If it is...he's okay...we managed to alleviate the intracranial pressure. He should wake up soon…"

Kravic was taking deep breaths in attempt to calm herself but only ended up crying harder. Feeling uncomfortable and unsure of whether to leave or not, Leila remained still and clasping her cold hand. Watching the tough and mighty fall, was like watching the day bring darkness and the night bringing light.

 _Religion is a belief. And the belief sparks a passion and a beam of hope and light. The light brings hope onto a new day. Even a 22 hour long day. Whether you believe in a god or not, you believe in something. Something supernatural, something more powerful than you and me._

"Audrey, meet your baby boy." Margaret smiled carefully handing over the swaddled baby to the beaming mother and father.

"Oh...he's beautiful...just perfect." Audrey cried stroking the child's cheek.

Margaret and Lucille Armstrong quietly excused themselves from the room and Margaret felt significantly less anxious at once. Lucille shared a look with her knowingly and moved to hug her tightly. Lucille was one of the only friends of hers who actually knew what had happened that night with Dan. Lucille, Scott, her and Dan were the sole people who knew the details of that horrific night.

"I know it's hard." she murmured. "I know how hard it is to hand people their own newborn babies when you can't have any of your own."

The painfully true words, no matter how many times she heard them was still a powerful blow to Margaret. She breathed deeply and wiped her wettening eyes on Lucille's healer coat. No words needed to be said as she withdrew and smiled weakly at Lucille.

"It is what it is." she shrugged reaching for a chart to distract her shaking hands. "Go save some babies." she said nodding that it was okay for Lucille to leave. She heard Lucille murmur words of greeting to a familiar voice who came up behind her.

"How was your crazy night? You know other than the fact that our mind blowing sex was interrupted?" Scott asked coming up as Lucille left.

Margaret turned to face him and tried to smile convincingly. "Sectumsempra to a 30 week pregnant lady. Emergency C and the premie is stable."

"Wow, tough case. I had _thirteen_ facial lacs, 4 burn victims ranging from primary burn to tertiary burns, an ear blasted off, a dark stinging jinx to the face, Marge you should have _seen_ this guy…"

Margaret felt her pain easen as she listened to her husband chatter while she finished reviewing some charts. Barren or not, she and Scott would have a beautiful life together even if it meant living for his adorable and dorky daily chatter.

 _A priest, a rabbi, an Imam or any religious figure can all tell you what to believe in and how to act. But at the end of the day, you believe what you want, say you want, hear what you want and decide what you want._

"What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to maul my face out?" Thomas asked in surprise with a tinge of bitterness, when Brittany slipped in the on call room and locked the door. She walked over to him and straddled his hips, leaning forward so their noses were touching.

"My ex is here. I assume your ex is here. I figured there's more use for your face unharmed then mauled out in my anger. More use I'd like to experience _now_." she breathed closing the gap between their lips.

His hands moved to her hips and began tugging her pants down. She moaned loudly pushing him all the way onto his back and crawling on top of him.

 _We don't always make the best choices. Choices we may later regret. But in the moment, sin feels more like heaven._

"I'm going to murder Larovic and lose my healer's license." Hermione grumbled plopping down on roof edge beside Draco, Leila, Alec and Aaron. Their legs were hanging over the edge of the roof as they watched night turn into day.

"I'd happily be an accomplice in that murder." Alec murmured as they watched shop keepers returning to their stores at the beginning of the day.

"We were never that dumb as interns." Aaron said idly picking at a thread on his scrub pants.

"Well _I_ wasn't. The same can't be said for the rest of you." Draco shrugged causing the others to laugh.

"You are so full of yourself." Hermione said shaking her head. "I'm surprised your heart doesn't explode from all the love you foster inside. For yourself." she added.

Leila snorted and sipped her coffee as the sun rose over Hogsmeade. "I had the awkwardest moment in the stairwell with Kravic. She was...crying. And I'd never seen her so upset in all the time I've known her."

"Her ex husband is here, it's to be expected." Hermione said reasonably.

"I still don't understand how that works." Draco said propping his knee up and draping his arm around it. "You terminated the marriage. It's over. Done. You shouldn't have any feelings left or you know you've made a mistake."

As Leila and Draco continued to bicker, Hermione's eyes sought an approaching group of figures trotting down Hogsmeade and towards the hospital.

"Guys…" she said squinting to see better. She leaned forward trying to distinguish the faces as they neared the hospital. "Guys…"

Her words were drowned out by their continuous argument but Hermione felt recognition ignite somewhere in the back of her mind. She leaned forward to get a better look and nearly screamed when she recognized the group approaching.

"Guys! It's Hagrid! He's being levitated by…Flitwick, McGonagall and Slughorn. I think he's hurt!" Hermione said hysteria rising from the pit in her stomach.

"What the hell is a 'flit wick'?" Alec asked wrinkling his nose.

Hermione tried to scramble up, but she didn't realize how far she was leaning over. Her foot met no ground and the next thing she knew she had fallen off the edge of the roof.

 _It's when our life is no longer in our hands, that we rely on idol figures of worship for some miraculous divine intervention._

Author's Note

Thanks for support and sticking by! Leave me a review on your thoughts on Brittany, Lucille or any character with more information revealed this chapt.

Check out the Granger's Anatomy website for surveys, info and more! Link in bio.


	6. Chapter Six: Till the Sun Burns Out

_One minute you're laughing at something the person next to you says, the next an aneurysm in your brain has ruptured and you're dying._

As Leila and Draco continued to bicker, Hermione's eyes sought an approaching group of figures trotting down Hogsmeade and towards the hospital.

"Guys…" she said squinting to see better. She leaned forward trying to distinguish the faces as they neared the hospital. "Guys…"

 _One minute you're cursing the slow pedestrian crossing the street, the next a car comes barreling out of nowhere in flips into the middle of the intersection. Right where you would've been._

Her words were drowned out by their continuous argument but Hermione felt recognition ignite somewhere in the back of her mind. She leaned forward to get a better look and nearly screamed when she recognized the group approaching.

"Guys! It's Hagrid! He's being levitated by…Flitwick, McGonagall and Slughorn. I think he's hurt!" Hermione said hysteria rising from the pit in her stomach.

 _One minute you're in the heat of surgery, the energy is up, the surgeons are wiping their brows, the pressure is stable and you think you're in the clear, the next the patient flatlines._

Hermione tried to scramble up, but she didn't realize how far she was leaning over. Her foot met no ground and the next thing she knew she had fallen off the edge of the roof.

 _One minute, is all it takes for your world to change in an instant._

* * *

" _First in the class at Healers University in France." the lanky, dark haired boy said shaking hands eagerly with her. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Aaron. Aaron Mathews._ Dr. _Aaron Mathews I suppose...Aaron is fine too, you can call me Aaron."_

 _Hermione laughed lightly and shook his hand. "Hermione Granger, Manchester Med."_

" _Wow you're the fourth intern I've met from Man. Med." Aaron said laughing nervously. "Guess this is like your home game. But I've got to say you're the nicest of the three from Man. Med."_

" _There's three others? I didn't know anyone else applied here since this is a newly built hospital and it doesn't have that much publicity yet. The ribbon cutting ceremony hasn't even happened yet." Hermione said scanning the Intern Mixer party guests curiously, hoping to recognize one of the other students._

 _Over by the bar Brittany Kravic plopped down and motioned for a firewhiskey as she felt the pressure settle in. These were her final competitors for the next 7 years and she felt completely overwhelmed by their presence. Taking a big swig from her bottle, a handsome young man slid into the seat next to her and ordered the same._

" _Alec Stanforth, London State." the man said with a charming half lift of a smile. "You do not look like you have any interest in being here."_

 _Brittany slowly turned her head to face him, trying to determine whether she was annoyed with him or mildly interested. He was a competitor not a friend._

" _If I didn't want to be here, do you think I would have made it through 8 years of university and reached the final 7 years of internship and residency? I think the question you should be asking yourself is if_ you _have any business_ _being here." she said watching the surprise spread across his face as she took a final swig of her beer before slipping off the bench and marching in the opposite direction._

" _Attention! Can we all direct our attention to the front please? Attention! Somebody kill the music!" Elizabeth Putton, the head of Cardio screamed at the poor DJ who waved his wand bashfully. With great annoyance, Elizabeth motioned for Kendra Kapoor to take her spot at the podium to address the group._

" _I want to start by welcoming you all to the first ever Intern Mixer at Hogsmeade General."_

 _She paused for the applause to cease._

" _You should find pride in knowing that you are the first ever class of interns to walk the halls at Hogsmeade General. However that privilege comes associated with a high expectation to set for yourselves and the future generations. The very meaning and purpose of this new hospital is to rebuild the wizarding world after the horrific events and battles of the second Wizarding war. Keep this in mind as you walk through the scrub room, the change rooms, the patient rooms and the operating rooms. You were handpicked from your respective schools for your talent and passion. As challenging and draining as the next few years are sure to be, do not forget why you started the journey of healing. On a happier note, we look forward to working with you and can't wait to see where you are in 7 years time."_

 _Elizabeth Putton switched places with the Chief as she hastily raised the mic. "Please report to your resident for the tour of the hospital. We'll be riding brooms to observe several parts of the hospital that are still under construction. Those of you in my group, please grab them first as that's the first stop on our guide."_

 _Hermione felt excitement bubble in her chest so voluminously, it diminished any nerves she felt for riding a broom. Along with Aaron, they quickly fetched broomsticks and mounted it as Elizabeth strode over and led the group off. Pushing off the ground with her fellow interns felt distinctly like the moment in a race, where the referee calls 'ready, set, go'. And then together they were off into the evening sky as they soared towards the half built towers._

" _I played professional quidditch for my university." the dark haired boy said from the front of the pack, just slightly behind Elizabeth. "These brooms are sub par. I wonder who the donors were for the hospital. Bound to be bloody rich and stupid to fund such a desperate public relations act."_

 _The snooty voice irritated Hermione immensely as she did her best to see the little cow's face. As they reached an open roofed room, the group came to a halt to observe the construction._

" _This is going to be Operating Room 1 and will likely be used for most traumas. I implore you to take in the very roots of this hospital." Elizabeth said motioning at the half built hospital. "These roots may look like nothing now, but by the time you're all attendings, the hospital will have branches and leaves and you will be at the centre of the whole tree."_

 _She encouraged the group to fly around and observe the different rooms for the next 15 minutes, the group breaking apart and eagerly flying in different directions._

 _Hermione flew to an empty room that appeared to be the beginnings of a courtyard or a park and she dipped down to get a closer look. She felt her broom handle drop sharply as she began nose diving towards the ground. All her diminished nerves came torpedoing out as she felt her lack of talent for riding a broom take over. She couldn't even bring herself to scream as she felt her hands come off the handle. Her hand scrambled to rummage her robe for her wand but the ground was approaching too quickly._

 _Out of nowhere, a hand shot down from the sky above and gripped her forearm tightly in theirs. She felt the broom tumble down beneath her and splinter with a chilling crunch. She squeezed her eyes and breathed heavily before looking up and meeting the steely gray eyes of Draco Malfoy._

* * *

Wind roaring powerfully in her ears, Hermione lost all feeling in her body as gravity took complete control of her fate. Then suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. A hand had clamped onto her arm as she slammed against the cool brick wall. She looked up to meet a pair of steely gray eyes glaring angrily back at her.

"Goddamn woman! I'm beginning to think you have a thing for dramatic falls." Draco breathed heavily as his torso hung half off the roof, his arm extending down to reach hers. "Hang on tight."

* * *

"How kind of you to join us Bellsan." Dr. Scott Mallucci, the head of plastics said cheerfully as Leila scuttled into the patient's room rather sheepishly. "Would you care to present the case?"

Leila flipped the chart open and began to recite. "Mona Aman, 29 year old female was born with a cleft palate. Today we'll be performing a cleft palate repair, routine surgery, to reposition the tissues of the hard and soft palate."

"I've been waiting for this day my whole life." Mona said leaning her head against the pillow and squeezing her eyes shut. "I can't believe it's finally here."

The tall, sandy brown haired boy beside her pressed the back of her hand to his lips and beamed down at her. "Are you a hundred percent sure about this? You know you don't have to get this surgery right?"

"Damien, we've been over this." Mona said sounding wary. "My whole life, I've been stared at. Looked at differently, treated differently, felt different. And this may be hard to believe, but I don't care about how I look. I want this surgery because I want to feel like more than just 'the girl with the weird face'. The girl that people stop to stare at on the street, the girl that people avoid making eye contact with when they're talking. I want people to see me for me, not my cleft palate."

Still looking at her with disbelief, Damien turned his attention back to Leila and Scott. "I'm sorry can you go over the procedure again?"

As Mona rolled her eyes, Scott motioned for Leila to explain.

"We'll start by making incisions on either sides of the cleft in order to create flaps of skin, muscle and tissue. We'll take that material and use it to recreate the average lip and nose structure. We'll be using several flap techniques to reposition the palate muscles."

"Dr. Bellsan will be handling your pre-op and I'll see you in a bit." Scott said heading towards the door.

"Dr. Mallucci, if you don't mind I have some more questions for you." Damien said hurrying after Dr. Mallucci, closing the door behind him.

"Sorry, he can be incredibly annoying sometimes. He likes to hover and be irritatingly thorough." Mona said playing with the end of her blanket.

"Thorough is a good thing. Especially when it comes to having surgery." Leila assured jotting some notes down on the clipboard.

"It's not when your standing in the grocery at the banana section for 30 minutes, waiting for him to pick the best batch." Mona said dryly.

Leila laughed and reached for her latest set of labs. "Explains why your potassium levels are good."

"You must think I'm crazy to want to have this surgery even though I say I don't care about how I look." Mona said tracing her cleft palate with a single finger. "I grew up in a big family and we couldn't afford to get my face reconstructed. I didn't mind the whispers and the stares. It's the assumptions people make about you before they even meet you. That's the part I could never stand."

"I can understand that." Leila said smiling lightly. "Damien doesn't seem to mind."

Mona laughed emotionlessly. "He and I had many arguments and breakups over this surgery. He never wanted me to get it. Said I was taking a dumb risk for no reason. He was the only person I've ever met my whole life that hasn't made assumptions about me before meeting me. He's the only one that's always seen just Mona."

* * *

"Rubeus Hagrid." Hermione said crossly, eyeing her old teacher and close friend with accusation. "Your star pupil is a _healer surgeon_ at Hogsmeade General, just down the street from Hogwarts and you didn't think to come pop in and check up?"

"Gee 'Ermione," Hagrid said coughing roughly, loud enough to shake the table next to his bed. "This old man is a hard rock, there ain't no disease er nothin' that can bring him down."

"Clearly, this old man was wrong about that." Hermione said snatching the labs from Draco as he returned. Her face paled as she shared a look with Draco. His eyes held sympathy but most of all regret.

"It's bad ain't it?" Hagrid asked breathing heavily.

"Let's not get worried until we have to." Draco said pulling a pen out from his healer jacket pocket. "Have you experienced any loss of appetite or extreme fatigue?"

"I never thought I'd live to see a day where slimy little Draco Malfoy would be me doctor." Hagrid said eyeing Draco with suspicion. "Yeh did earn a real license right? Yeh didn't just buy one or threaten them fer one?"

"Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed shooting him a warning look, which he returned immaturely. "Draco is a friend now. He's saved me in more ways than one."

"Yeh right." Hagrid scoffed stubbornly jutting his chin out.

"Can you please find it in yourself to answer his questions? Or would you rather return to Hogwarts and cough up blood at breakfast in front of the school again?" Hermione said with exasperation.

Hagrid heaved a great sigh before redirecting his attention and critical gaze to Draco. "I suppose I have been feelin' less hungry now a days. And I'm always tired, but as a gamekeeper you can't expect nothin' less."

"Any other unusual symptoms? Blood in your urine? Pain at your side?" Draco asked scratching down some notes.

"YEH DON'T GET TER ASK ME ABOUT ME URINE!" Hagrid bellowed slamming his fists down onto the bed at either side of him. Hermione yelped and placed two of her small hands atop of his.

"Hagrid please," she said vainly trying to calm him down. "He's just doing his job. And I assure you, if I were ill I would have not only ben wise enough to get myself checked out earlier, but I would willingly let Draco heal me. He's one of the best here." she said watching as Hagrid pursed his lips skeptically.

"Perhaps it's been a wee red." Hagrid said begrudgingly.

"Dr. Malfoy what is your next course of diagnosis?" Elizabeth Putton asked leaning against the doorframe, staring at the trio questioningly. It wasn't a huge surprise to see her staring disapprovingly at them all as Hagrid's holler likely woke the whole floor.

"I'd order a urine test and a CT scan and maybe some blood work to be on the safe side." Draco said doing his best not to break into a scowl.  
"Get on that. Can I see you and Dr. Granger outside please?" she asked before closing the door firmly behind them. "The pair of you always seem to be at the source of the drama."

"Putton I don't think I should be on this case. The patient and I don't have the best history." Draco said allowing himself to scowl lightly.  
"What possible history could you have that prohibits you from treating that man?" Elizabeth asked already growing impatient.

"Well when I was 13 I tried to get his pet hippogriff executed, when I was 15 I tried to get him fired and I've called him a number of insulting names since we first met." Draco said clasping his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth on his heels lightly.

Elizabeth looked up at the ceiling and muttered a little prayer before returning her attention to the pair of them. "You will stay on the case Dr. Malfoy, we do not accommodate personal dramatics. Dr. Granger you will be running labs and working in the clinic for the day. That will be all." she said. The last phrase usually indicated she was utterly finished talking to them.

"Of course you get the better case. With Harry and Hagrid in the hospital, Putton thinks I can't do anything rational. Be nice," Hermione warned Draco. "Page me if it's what I think it is."

" _Be nice."_ he mocked childishly behind her back as she turned and dragged her feet all the way to the clinic.

* * *

"Matthews, Kravic you're with Sharman and I today." Kimberly Wellington said leading them into a conference room where a large family was assembled around the table.

"Don't you have a Russian ex-husband to be cheating on with Thomas?" Aaron said airily.

"I just did." Kravic said her face an unreadable mask. "20 minutes ago." Before Aaron could spit out a long stream of rude retorts, they were surrounded by a large family of wizards and witches all flouncing around the room.

"And how is the Lovait family doing today?" Thomas Sharman asked clapping his hands together as they all entered the room. An uproar of responses came back in response to his question and all Aaron seemed to be able to do, was search for an empty spot far away from both Kravic and Thomas.

"How are you feeling today Nicolas?" Wellington asked smiling down at the hunched old man at the centre of the hubbub.

"Fit as a fiddle and ready to be chopped up." he chuckled waving his hand for them to go on.

"Nicolas Lovait, 69 years old is here today for a spinal fusion. The goal of the surgery is to rejoin several vertebrae in order to stop constant movement. Treating the spinal stenosis and stopping the bones from moving will help to avoid back pain." Wellington explained to the large family that was staring, some intently, others curiously and some even seemed suspicious.

"I'm planning on going for the approach from your back. I'll move the muscles and structures aside in order to have a clear viewing field of the spine. I'll use screws once the joints between the painful discs are removed." Sharman explained flicking his wand in order to switch the screens to show a 3D model of the body.

"And how long will the recovery time be?" a very snobby, skinny lady asked at the head of the table. "He's a very active man and can't bear to sit around all day."  
"The hardest bout of the pain should be over after the first 4 weeks, but I'm afraid to say your father won't be twisting, bending or lifting things for a while. The recovery period is crucial to be taken carefully, otherwise all the efforts in the surgery are wasted." Sharman said chirpily to the woman, sending flames of hatred down Aaron's chest. Fucking bastard.

"Does that mean he can't fly to Fiji in a month's time?"

"Will you be performing the surgery or will Dr. Wellington?"

"Is the one with glasses qualified to be performing the surgery?"

"Dr. Matthews and Dr. Kravic are very able residents who will handle Mr. Lovait's pre-op and answer any additional questions you may have." Wellington said before excusing themselves.

Thomas stopped next to the pair of them rather warily and crossed his arms. "Take care to answer questions as simply and basically as you can. If one of them gets spooked, they _all_ get spooked. And if that happens you can sit out of the surgery and console and assure each and every one of them." Thomas said in a low voice more to Aaron than Kravic.

"How'd you even consider letting go of that authoritative voice?" Kravic whispered before inserting herself into the Lovait family conversation.

Patience wilting and anger boiling, Aaron took a deep breath before joining the conversation himself.

* * *

"We're eating lunch in the courtyard if you want to join us." Leila said without looking at Brittany in the cafeteria line. As the cafeteria lady lazily swished her wand and plopped a bowl of chili onto her plate, Brittany gave Leila a questioning side gaze.

"I can't I need to meet Thomas before his spine fusion surgery. And the patient's family ate me alive with questions, my brain actually hurts." Brittany replied. And without another word she thrust some coins into the cafeteria lady's hand left.

Leila stared after her, contemplating chasing after her but thought better of it. She took her lunch and joined her fellow residents under the lazy end of summer sun.

Hermione and Draco were sitting side by side, their backs leaning against the end of the fountain as they bickered and studied a piece of paper. Aaron was ranting very passionately to Alec who was laying on his back atop of a spare patient blanket. His lean, tan arm was draped casually over his eyes to shield the sun as Leila moved to sit next to him.

" - and then that cheating little blond pixie has the nerve to tell me, oHO this is where it gets good, the Blond Pixie has the nerve to tell me she's STILL sleeping with my ex. That cheating little cheater!" Aaron said slamming his fist down on the courtyard floor.

"Mate if you ended it with him, he's free to shag any man or woman he likes. They're not doing anything incriminating, besides dancing on your beaten, broken little heart." Draco said matter of factly before shoveling his bread roll into his chili and chomping down on it.

Hermione glanced disdainfully at Draco before turning her sympathizing eyes on Aaron. "That's awful of her, I'm really sorry Aaron."

"She's not just sleeping with Sharman to piss you off Aaron," Leila said surprised at her own defensiveness while Aaron gawked at her in disgust.

"They both just had rough encounters with their exes, they're healing together, in their own twisted way." Leila said shrugging as she stirred her chili. "They're just two sad people who happened to find each other."  
"In his bed. While we were still together." Aaron argued aggressively taking a swig of his bottled water. "That cheating cheater. Alec gets it. Right Alec? Alec?" he nudged Alec who had effectively dozed off in the summer heat.

"Your talking has officially put one of us to sleep." Draco smirked. "Bound to happen eventually." Aaron glared angrily at Draco before standing and huffing off.

"Do you have to be such a prat? Can't you see he's heartbroken?" Hermione asked shrugging off the lazy arm Draco had draped around her shoulder. "Besides you should be focusing your efforts on diagnosing Hagrid."  
"'Mione. For the tenth time. I want to get some blood work done to be on the safe side." Draco said leaning his head back on the edge of the fountain.

"We already know he has stage III kidney cancer! You can run all the tests you want _after_ we begin his treatment plan. He's at high risk for - "

"Hermione I know you think I'm biased towards Hagrid, but you know me and I've changed from the unwise smartass I was as a child. I am his physician and _I_ am _telling_ you he needs the blood work now. We can catch signs of metastasis and better plan his treatment." Draco said crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Yes but we need to start treatment immediately. I'm saying you can check for metastasis _after_ you start chemo and a surgical plan." Hermione argued.

Just as Leila was about to take her first bite of the steaming hot chili, her pager went off like a bomb, effectively startling her into dropping the steaming bowl onto Alec's chest.

"Mother fucker!" he hollered jerking into a sitting position as he stared at her in anger. "What the fuck Leila - "

"Oh crap, it's Mona." she said before leaping up and sprinting out of the courtyard and up the stairs, taking them three at a time. She raced down the corridor and turned sharply, crashing into a million people along the way.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" she asked the healer nurse standing just outside the door. She nodded into the room and Leila peaked in feeling her heart rate slow ever so slightly. So Mona wasn't coding. Poor Alec.

"You have NEVER been supportive of me and this surgery. But guess what Damien it's my decision, NOT yours." Mona screamed her voice raising several octaves.

"Oh cut the bullcrap Mona!" Damien screamed right back. "I'm telling you that you don't _need_ this surgery, you just want it. You go on and on about how you just don't want to be judged and you don't want assumptions made about you. But guess what? The people that matter in your life all love you for you! I love you for you! And I'm telling you that you don't need this surgery to feel beautiful. You don't need to have this surgery for others, in fear that they'll make assumptions about you!"

"Have you listened to ANYTHING I've said the past few years? I don't care how I look, I just want to stop being prejudged - "

"There you have it!" Damien shouted triumphantly. "You're having the surgery so OTHERS won't have to make assumptions about you."

Mona was full on sobbing now as she aimed sharp punches at his chest in fury. "Get out! Get away from me! If you can't be supportive of me and this surgery then I don't want you here."

Leila thought it was time to intervene and she hurried in to lead Damien out. She indicated for the healer nurse to help Mona get back into bed and escorted Damien outside the room.

"Take a walk." Leila said before Damien could say anything. " _I know_ you love her and I understand that you feel she doesn't need this surgery - "

"Because she DOESN'T!" Damien yelled, making sure it was loud enough to be heard from inside the room.

"But it's her choice, Damien." Leila said meeting his burning green eyes. "If you really love her you will accept her decision and be there for her regardless. Until you realize that, I think it's high time you take a walk away from Mona and her surgery."

Damien angrily pulled himself from her grip and wheeled around in the other direction, without a single glance back.

* * *

"I'm just going to do one more blood draw and then I think Dr. Reynolds and I can make the final diagnosis." Draco said reaching for Hagrid's arm, as he used his wand to secure the tight blue band around it.

Hagrid seemed to be silently studying him with a mixture of suspicion and interest as he watched Draco mutter an incantation to withdraw blood from his arm and transfer it into a thin flask.

"Ermione seems to think you're alrigh' now." Hagrid said slowly.

"Seems she does." Draco said shortly tapping the flask lightly with his finger before reaching for another.

"Still cheeky aren' ya?" Hagrid asked chuckling a little now, shaking his big shaggy head lightly. "I suppose I should give yer a chance. 'Ermione is the smartest witch I know and if she trusts yeh with her life, I guess I have no choice but ter trust you too. 'Spose it's smart an' all with you bein' my healer and all."

"Her trust is not something I take lightly." Draco said stripping off his gloves and summoning Hagrid's chart. Hagrid seemed to be impressed by this response as he clasped his large hands together over his protruding stomach.

"That's...that's - er - wise of yeh to realize. But lemme warn yeh Malfoy, you hurt one little bone in her body and I'll chase after yeh in my life or afterlife. Guess that depends on how good of a healer yeh really are. But 'Mione is one special girl, yeh don't meet two like 'em in one lifetime."

"Believe me Hagrid, I know."

* * *

"Allllllright here we go." Thomas said doing a little dance into the operating room. He was instantly gowned and gloved before he took his place at the surgical table. "Scalpel."

"Did the family hammer you both down with questions?" Wellington asked from where she stood observing slightly behind Thomas.

"Almost reduced Mathews to tears." Kravic replied almost regrettably from where she stood opposite the table from Thomas. She glanced up to wink at Aaron before redirecting her attention to Nicolas Lovait.

Fuming, Aaron stepped closer to Thomas from their side of the table and leaned closely over his shoulder, pretending to get a better look. "Wow one incantation and suddenly you have a perfect view of the surgical field."

"Do you need thicker glasses Mathews? You're leaning awfully close." Thomas said with a hint of irritation as he cleared his throat and reached for his wand. "I need the room to be silent now, Kravic and I will be casting the complex charm that removes the discs from the spine. One wrong pronunciation, word or wand motion and we've effectively paralyzed this man. Are we ready Dr. Kravic?"

"Always," Brittany smiled back from under her mask as they began chanting together like some couple in a cult.

Aaron stood in his spot beside Thomas, absolutely seething as he watched the pair of them work in perfect unison to remove the disc from the patient's back. All he could think was - that should have been him.

* * *

"Her pre-op looks good I think we're good to go." Leila said handing the chart to Scott Mallucci. She glanced up at the sound of feet approaching and felt worry settle in.

"Damien…" Leila warned watching as he strode back into the room purposefully. She followed him in, unsuccessfully trying to lead him back out.

"What do you want?" Mona snapped, her hair already tucked into a surgical cap. She was just about to be wheeled off to surgery but her eyes were evidently red from crying. Her eyes shone with fury when he continued his advances until he was standing directly beside her. Mona shrunk away from his outstretched hand and he cringed, pulling back quickly.

"Hear me out." he said regarding her wearily. She remained stony faced as she stared stoically ahead of her. "You think I'm unsupportive of you and this surgery. My hesitation and concern in all of this has everything to do with you and your motives for having this surgery. Wait - " he said cutting her off from interrupting.

"I know you don't want people to make assumptions about you based on your cleft but that _shouldn't be a reason_ to have this surgery. You - Merlin - Mona, you are _perfect._ Merlin, you are perfectly perfect the way you are. And take it from someone who loves you when I say that you don't need this surgery. I love you, I've always loved you and I don't think you need this surgery." Damien said before dropping down onto one knee.

Mona shrieked and reeled back even further onto her bed. "Damien Gallforth you right yourself this moment," she said sobbing even harder. "Not now...not now...you can't...not now - "

"I'm not kneeling down here to beg you not to have the surgery. I need you to know I'm in it for the long haul. And whether you believe you need this surgery or not, I'll be here when you wake up."

"God Damien...your timing is _wretched_ \- "

"I love you, Mona." Damien said plowing on firmly. He flipped open a ring box and stared back up at her.

Leila felt tears sting the back of her eyes as she watched the spectacle silently from the door.

"I love you as you are, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Damien said wiping his cheek roughly with the back of his spare hand. "Marry me Mona Aman."

Mona looked like she was indecisive on whether to slap him or kiss him. She traced her cleft palate softly before throwing herself onto his kneeling form. Leila hurried in and was relieved to see Mona appeared to be kissing him. She pressed a hand to her smile, trying to hide it as she watched the newly engageds right themselves.

"I suppose congratulations are in order." she said beaming at the couple. "But Mona, we need to know whether you're still having this surgery or not."

Mona's hand drifted to her cleft again before she clenched her fist and forced it away. "I am." Damien appeared to be struggling to keep quiet as Mona gave her final consent. She turned to face him, wondering if he would choose to argue.

He finally said, albeit slightly reluctantly, - "I'm with you."

* * *

"Alright and that's the final disc." Thomas said rotating his neck in relief. The healers in the room burst into a round of applause for Thomas and Kravic as they removed their hands to stretch.

"Nicely done Dr. Kravic." Wellington remarked nodding as she surveyed their neat work on Mr. Nicolas Lovait.

"Alright, Dr. Kravic hand me the screws. We'll do this bit by hand." Thomas said holding his hand out.  
"If you wouldn't mind, Dr. Sharman I'd love to give this part a shot." Aaron said switching his weight between his feet in suspense.

Kravic raised a perfectly plucked blond eyebrow in his direction.

"I think Dr. Kravic and I've got it from here." Thomas said without even glancing up from his work. Kravic smirked from under her mask, making Aaron feel as though an icy bucket of water had just been dumped down his shirt.

Before he could stop himself, the words began to come spewing out. "You know, I thought it was a widely understood rule that healers weren't allowed to favour their cheating bed buddies, especially in the OR - "

" _Dr. Matthews._ " Thomas said his voice raising with anger. "You'll remove yourself from my OR before I lose my self restraint and hex you out."

"Dr. Wellington - " Aaron said trying to garner some understanding but Wellington shook her head and lead the way out. He angrily tore off his scrubs and burst out of the scrub room and into the deserted hallway.

"What the hell is your problem?" Wellington asked moving her mask down to speak, scold rather. Aaron crossed his arms defiantly, remaining silent. "You know, Matthews you were a favourite for the exclusive clinical trial Dr. Reynolds and I were scouting for. But I don't think we need vengeful, ruthless and impolite healers on our team. You truly disappointed my expectations, Mathews."

Without another word she re-entered the OR and left Aaron standing alone in the hall.

"Goddamnit!" he shouted swinging at a tray of medical supplies, knocking it onto the floor. A long string of colorful words came flying out of his mouth as he nursed his throbbing hand but nothing could nurse his throbbing heart.

* * *

"You ordered the blood test anyways?" Hermione exclaimed bursting into the CT scan room. She crossly sat on the chair next to Draco and watched as he leaned back regrettably into his seat. "What?" she demanded leaning forward to study the screen.

"Kidney cancer," Draco said solemnly. "Like we suspected."

Hermione was silent for a moment, blinking blankly at the results on the scan. She then wheeled on Draco angrily, "I told you it was kidney cancer! Yet you insisted on a blood test and - "

"It's spread 'Mione." Draco said rubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw. "It's spread to his stomach and it's almost reached his colon."

"Goddamn it Hagrid." Hermione gasped, unable to stop staring at his scans and blood test results.

"Stage III kidney cancer that's meta huh?" Hagrid said wrinkling his bushy black eyebrows in confusion once they had returned to his room.

"Metastasized to your stomach and part of your colon." Dr. Reynolds said kindly. "Thankfully, Dr. Malfoy took the time to get some extra tests and we were able to diagnose the cancer growths in new areas. Now we know precisely where to attack the tumours and it'll increase our chances of beating it."

Hagrid was silent before he turned his gaze to Draco. Tears were clouding Hermione's vision as she held on tightly to one of Hagrid's rough hands. He suddenly whipped his hand out from hers and yanked Draco towards him.  
"Hagrid!" Hermione cried pulling her wand out. To her surprise, Hagrid was crushing Draco in a bone-snapping hug as big fat tears began cascading down his cheeks.

"Yer a good man Malfoy. A bastard of a boy, but yeh've become a good man. I can't...I can't...Merlin's beard...I can't thank yeh enough Malfoy - " he howled burying his shaggy head into Draco's shoulder. Draco could simply nod as he stood awkwardly crushed against the weeping giant.

In other circumstances, Hermione would have been elated to see two of her best friends finally getting along after years of animosity. Draco had already reconciled with Harry after the war and they had worked rather closely to rebuild the broken wizarding world. Ron took a little longer to reach civil speaking terms with. But now, seeing her two closest friends uniting in understanding together over such miserable circumstances, all Hermione could do was cry.

* * *

"We've got you." Leila said holding Mona's hand as she lay down on the operating table, tears flowing steadily again. "Damien made me promise I'd hold your hand for him while they put you to sleep. Pretend I'm your dashing fiance, who will be right here waiting when you wake back up."

Mona laughed tearily as she blinked away tears and squeezed Leila's hand back. "I'm ready," she said her voice more steady than her hand. Leila nodded for the healer to lower the mask and watched as consciousness slipped away from Mona, and her hand went slack within her own.

 _One minute is all it takes for you to spot the person you know you're meant to spend the rest of your complicated, twisted life with. One minute - 1/60th of an hour is all it takes to start your life down a completely different path._

"You're an idiot." Hermione said flicking her wand to restitch the cuts in Aaron's hand together. "You know they were both just trying to get a rise out of you. And wow you were in the running to be in their clinical trial? Merlin, Aaron."

" _I know_ ," Aaron complained wincing as his skin knitted together neatly. "Just seeing them together, seeing them work so well together without me...it just set me off. And now I've lost my boyfriend and my chances of being in that clinical trial."

"At least you have the comfort of knowing you were a top consideration." Hermione consoled pulling her gloves off. "I probably didn't even cross their minds as I'm so preoccupied worrying about Ginny, Harry and now Hagrid. They won't even give me a case to prove myself."

"Wait what's a 'Hag-rid' again?"

 _Taking a single minute to smile at someone, a single moment to say something, a single chance to hold the door for someone, alters the course of another life ever so slightly. But isn't it better to make a positive alteration, than none at all?_

"The surgery went very well." Brittany said to the large group of Lovait's who all stood eagerly to greet her. Relieved looks flooded their faces as they whooped and hugged each other. "Dr. Sharman was able to replace the discs with screws and we successfully relieved most of the back pain Mr. Lovait was experiencing."

"Thank you dear! Merlin bless you!" a large, red cheeked, beaming lady said wrapping her in a tight embrace, Brittany immediately felt desire to be free of.

After she managed to extract herself from the overwhelming and overly friendly family, she dragged her tired feet up the stars and into the resident's lounge.

Leila was at her locker beside, Brittany's and had already changed into civilian clothes. She smiled lightly at her, making Brittany scowl in annoyance. There was something infuriating about redheads and their need to be chipper all the time.

She wordlessly yanked her locker open and shoved her stethoscope onto the hook.

"You up for a drink later - "

"I am here to become a surgeon." Brittany cut her off coldly. "I have no time or remote desire to be drinking away my problems with the likes of you."

Feeling completely nonplussed by Leila's hurt look, she stared straight ahead as she turned to take her change of clothes into the bathroom.

 _One minute is all it takes to change someone's life forever._

"Lucius Malfoy, I believe you have a restraining order from entering the hospital." Kendra Kapoor said gripping her wand from inside her healer's pocket. "If you don't leave this instance, I'll have to call security. How did you even get inside?"  
"I have connections high up at the Transportation sector of the ministry." Lucius said icily as he strode into the office and perched himself into a chair facing Kendra. "I think we ought to have a chat, and you should put your wand away and hear me out."  
"I have nothing to say to you." Kendra said warily watching as Lucius plucked a photo frame of her four children off her desk.

"Which one's the autistic one? Aha, I see right here. It's the confused little creature to the left isn't it?" he said sneering slightly at the frame in his hands.

"I'm calling security." Kendra said reaching for her desk phone before Lucius' icy hand clamped down on the receiver. She glanced up to meet his cool stare and straightened to her full height. "Mr. Malfoy - "

"I have done my best to try and convince by naive son to reconsider his choice of staffing for chief of surgery. Outrageous to have a mother of an autistic child and a half blood running this place. He has stubbornly refused and placed a restraining order on me. My hand has been forced into much more drastic measures, that don't faze my conscience in the slightest." he said silkily, watching as Kendra lifted her chin questioningly.

"You cannot threaten me in my own hospital Lucius. I will not stand for it. I am chief of this hospital and I will not leave to please you and your prejudices."

"Ah but that is where you are mistaken." Lucius said picking at a spot on the arm of his chair. "Draco now holds power over Malfoy finances and I can not do anything to influence the board of the hospital. I can however influence you. I may not be able to force you to resign without arousing suspicion but I can make life difficult for you and my troublesome son."

Kendra was about to send a wordless patronus off to security when Lucius' next words stopped her short.

"You will do as I command and follow my instructions from here on out, otherwise I will have a little chat with the Daily Prophet, recounting my discovery of your past. Picture it now, 'Dr. Kapoor, Head of Surgery at Hogsmeade General - A Former Death Eater'. Now that has a nice little ring to it doesn't it?"

 _One minute does not seem like a lot of time, but it may surprise you how much you can do in the mere 60 seconds._

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Leila exclaimed shifting her bag awkwardly on her shoulder as she approached Alec in the NICU.

"Sorry, I was just checking up on my patients. I was with Armstrong today. And my burnt chest is alright, thanks for asking. What's up?" he asked moving the stethoscope gently over a sleeping baby.

"Your dad," Leila said abruptly. Alec looked unimpressed as he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and jotted something down on the chart. When he didn't say anything more, Leila used her nerve to continue. "I need you to know I'm with you. I love you for you, and I'm in it for the long haul. If it's your history with your dad your worried about, don't. Because I don't care - "

"Leila for Merlin's sake give it a rest." Alec said with exasperation.

" - if your dad was a drunk, or a death eater, or abusive or mental! I just want to know more about _you._ Every time I ask you a question about you and your past, you hide from me. The merest mention of your dad sets you off completely, and I need you to know nothing you say could scare me away - "

"I don't need assurances of the future or of our relationship. My dad is in my history for a reason and I'd like to keep it that way so please, for the sake of my sanity just shut up about it alright?" Alec said sharply, doing his best not to wake the sleeping infants. His coldness and finality stung more than Leila cared to admit and she took one last glance at him before turning and walking away.

 _Or how much you can destroy._

"Oh Hagrid…" McGonagall said pressing her hands to her chest. Her eyes became watery as she pursed her lips tightly together. "Why didn't he come to me?"

"You stubborn fool - " Flitwick said his voice hitching as tears came spouting out. Professor Sprout was too immersed in her handkerchief, she barely heard a word of the diagnosis and treatment Draco had just previously explained, while Hagrid dozed loudly unbeknownst to their presence. Slughorn remained silent in the corner as he regarded Hagrid almost with a sense of awe.

"Dr. Reynolds and I will begin the chemotherapy and radiation immediately. Unfortunately there is not a great deal of medicinal magic we can perform to alleviate majority of the pain." Draco said doing his best to remain placid as he delivered the terrible news to four of his old professors. Hermione was doing her best not to cry in front of them while she stood statue still in the doorframe.

It seemed life as she knew it was crumbling around her from all four sides and she was trapped right in the centre.

 _Is 60 seconds in a minute enough? Enough to say I love you? Enough to break a heart? Enough to save a life? Maybe we're constantly given 60 small seconds of chance to do something with our life._

"One firewhiskey please," Brittany said resting the side of her head against her palm.

"I'll have the same," a familiar redhead said sliding into the seat next to her.

Brittany rolled her eyes and turned to glare at Leila. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
"Trying to get drunk and wash away my problems. It's only 9:59, plenty of time to waste away the hours with alcohol." she said flatly as she danced her fingers on the countertop. "Cheers," she said downing a large gulp of her whiskey.

Brittany eyed her wearily as she too downed a large gulp, relishing in the feel of the alcohol burning down her throat.

"There's nothing in life to be cheerful about." she said mildly, tracing the rim of her whiskey bottle. Leila turned to consider this, tilting her innocent face to the side.

"Tonight, I wholeheartedly agree with you dear Brittany Kravic. Cheers to that." Leila said raising her bottle. Brittany surprised even herself when she raised her bottle and touched it lightly to Leila's as the clock struck 10:00 pm.

 _What did you do with the last_

 _One minute_

 _60 seconds_

 _60000000000 nanoseconds_

 _Of your life?_

Author's Note

Thanks so much for reading! Leave me a review on your thoughts! Please check out the Granger's Anatomy Site for an updated 'Reader's Take' to give me more input on the story thus far! The link for the website can be found IN MY BIO. Happy reading!


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